increase font size
ASB general manager rural banking, Aidan Gent.
A new report from ASB and Lincoln University shows how smarter, more diverse land use could unlock billions in value for farmers and the wider economy.
The Future Use of Land and How to Fund It, a collaboration between ASB and Lincoln University's Centre of Excellence in Transformative Agribusiness, outlines how land use optimisation across the food and fibre sector could significantly boost the country's GDP, while also delivering social and environmental benefits.
Developed with input from leaders across the primary sector, including dairy, horticulture, sheep and beef, agritech, finance and government, the reoport explores four possible futures for New Zealand.
Each scenario focusses on a single factor that will impact the food and fibre sector, for example greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, or the Government's goal to double export values, and pushes them to the extreme, demonstrating the pressing need for change.
The research sets out seven transformational pathways, such as diversifying farm systems to introduce mixed revenue streams, increasing horticultural production, and unlocking underutilised Māori land. It demonstrates how better land use, paired with innovative funding, can unlock sustainable value across rural New Zealand.
Researchers have also developed a land transition model, providing land-use insights on a regional level. Agri-consultants can use the model to help inform potential paths forward for farmers.
“The food and fibre sector has always been a key driver of our economy, yet many producers operate on slim margins. We speak with farmers every week who are deeply committed to their land and legacy but grapple with viability, as they’re not getting the returns to operate sustainably into the future,” says ASB’s general manager rural banking, Aidan Gent.
“This research brings together the insights and tools to help landowners make informed decisions for future prosperity.”
Alan Renwick of Lincoln University says optimising land use by just 10% could add $10 billion in value to the economy if it’s done in the right way, and this or more could be achieved in the next 5-7 years.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
OPINION: Alistair Carmichael raises some interesting questions about striking a balance between profitability in farming and preserving the character of rural communities.
Waikato dairy farmer Danielle Hovmand has been named the primary sector's top emerging leader.
New Zealand’s wine industry produces around 100,000 tonnes of grape marc waste annually, while the forestry sector generates over five million tonnes of wood residue.
A young man just five years out of his Lincoln University degree already has his foot in the door of farm ownership, as equity manager of a large new dairy conversion now taking shape in Mid- Canterbury.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
According to a progress report on the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan (AHAP), New Zealand's horticulture sector is making real progress on the big issues facing growers.
A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any…
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…
