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Federated Farmers President William Rolleston.
The latest KPMG Agribusiness Agenda confirms Federated Farmers thinking that the primary sector needs to do more to meet the changing needs of consumers and the wider public.
Federated Farmers President William Rolleston says New Zealand's primary sector is not the same sector it once was. And in five to 10 years it'll be a different landscape again.
"Consumers, especially the younger generations, think differently and there's a real lack of understanding about our food chains," says Dr Rolleston.
"The crux of it is we need to challenge common beliefs and explain that food doesn't just come from the supermarket; there's a lot of work needed to produce it.
"If we're going to feed a growing population, we need to gain the buy-in to advance agricultural production. This means making a clear, intelligent, inclusive and respectful case for this.
"Attracting young people into agriculture to not only become our future farmers but future leaders is of the utmost importance; it's critical to the success of the nation."
One of the ways to promote this is to get agriculture back onto the school curriculum via science and facilitate growing things in the playgrounds.
"The current slump in dairy prices and with all of the doom and gloom that gets published, it's a timely reminder that we all have a vested interest to support the primary sector," says Dr Rolleston.
"This has the potential to turn away many of our brightest young people who may have been thinking about entering the industry just when we need them jump in."
Other items in KPMG's Agribusiness Agenda: Federated Farmers believes:
- Biosecurity is a number one priority to prevent risks from reaching our borders.
- We'll continue to promote work that supports our reputation among the world's most carbon efficient food producers.
- We're in favour of the increased market access opportunities provided under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and support the long-held bipartisan approach to trade.
- We support the work of the NZ Productivity Commission that will facilitate the 'hard conversations' the country needs to have such as genetic modification and intensification of farming while reducing our environmental footprint.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Farmer-owned fertiliser company, Ballance Agri Nutrients is welcoming National’s plan to negotiate security agreements with key supplier countries to protect New Zealand-bound products from export restrictions and greater supply chain certainty.
Carrfields has announced the appointment of Stu Hall to the newly created role of chief operating officer, Carrfields Ltd, reflecting the continued growth of their agribusinesses and the need to ensure the company has the leadership capacity and support in place as it pursues the emerging opportunities ahead.
New Zealand's role is not to compete with Indian growers, according to NZ Apples and Pears.
The potato industry is celebrating the success of two rising stars - James Blair, the 2026 Young Grower of the Year and runner-up and innovation award winner, Amber Davy.
Twenty-eight emerging leaders from across the horticulture sector spent two days last month learning valuable skills and connecting with industry experts.
There are five entrants in this year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year, competing in a series of technical, practical, business and leadership challenges.
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