Wednesday, 11 September 2024 09:55

Fewer, larger farms

Written by  Peter Burke
AgFirst chief executive James Allen. AgFirst chief executive James Allen.

The future will see a continuation of the trend to fewer and larger farms, most of which will be ‘family corporates’, says AgFirst chief executive James Allen.

He says larger farms place more emphasis on reporting and information requirements than smaller ones.

Allen says he’s been talking to universities around the country about the implications stemming from his report and he says “they get it” and are starting to think about how they can best meet the needs of industry in the future.

He says while there may need to be changes to degree courses, it is essential for farm consultants of the future to have to have a core understanding of the basic principles of farming.

“The likes of an AgScience or BAgCom that gives an understanding of soils, pasture and livestock and how to integrate these is critical. What we need overlayed with that is a new set of skills around such things as data base management, GIS software skills and getting the best out of AI technology,” he says.

More like this

Safety programme for kids on farm

BASF NZ is set to launch its 2024 Safety Champs Programme, said to provide a fun and interactive way to make farms safer for children.

Featured

Help for flood-stricken farmers

Multiple agencies are working to help farmers in Otago hit by the recent floods and Southland farmers who have faced many months of adverse weather.

Shift in farm sales, prices

Farm sales are on the rise. According to recent data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), there was an 18.9% increase in farm sales for the three months ending August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

National

A leader among CEOs

Richard Burke, a leading CEO in the primary sector, has departed from a company he's played a huge part in…

Ideal weather for growers

Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris are reporting near ideal spring start conditions for fruit growers this season.

LIC ready for challenges ahead

Herd improvement company LIC says it's well-positioned for the challenges ahead and remains focused on its core purpose - delivering…

Machinery & Products

New F5 balers from McHale

Irish grassland machinery manufacturer McHale has unveiled the new four-model range of F5 fixed chamber balers.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Trump tariffs

OPINION: Former politicians seem incapable of staying away from the limelight after they retire.

Air Miles

OPINION: The latest travel receipts for MPs are in (April – June 2024).

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter