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Federated Farmers President Dr William Rolleston.
Federated Farmers wants a plan to attract the world's top scientists to New Zealand to concentrate on those who will work on primary sector initiatives and the environment.
Federated Farmers President Dr William Rolleston says it makes sense for the government's $35 million 'Entrepreneurial Universities' programme to build knowledge in areas which are key to New Zealand's economic and environmental needs.
The four year programme, announced by Science Minister Steven Joyce on Wednesday, aims to encourage the world's leading researchers to bring their teams to work in New Zealand.
"This programme will help New Zealand keep up with the scientific developments already going on around the globe.
"Federated Farmers is keen to engage in the programme to help identify areas of opportunity for the primary industries and the environment," Rolleston says.
Agriculture is a high-tech industry that is intimately linked to the environment.
"The industry's scale brings great opportunities for entrepreneurs. It's critical our farmers have all the tools of modern biology available to them, plus capability in high-tech areas so that we can stay at the forefront as the digital and biology revolutions unfold."
Federated Farmers believes the programme should be about encouraging industry and universities to think about how New Zealand can develop entrepreneurial opportunities, especially in the areas where we already have strength, like biological technologies.
"Our best and biggest opportunities are where we already have strength and scale," Rolleston says.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to highlight the most troublesome farm pests – a serious issue that needs some urgent attention from the Beehive.
Farmers are welcoming the announcement of two new bills to replace the under-fire Resource Management Act.
The Government has announced it will immediately roll over all resource consents for two years, with legislation expected to pass under urgency as early as this week.
Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for "The Twelve Pests of Christmas" in an effort to highlight the most troublesome farm pests.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.
According to Ravensdown's most recent Market Outlook report, a combination of geopolitical movements and volatile market responses are impacting the global fertiliser landscape.
Environment Canterbury, alongside industry partners and a group of farmers, is encouraging farmers to consider composting as an environmentally friendly alternative to offal pits.
A New Zealand dairy industry leader believes the free trade deal announced with India delivers wins for the sector.
The Coalition Government will need the support of at least one opposition party to ratify the free trade deal with India.
OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…
