Whoa there. The Beehive publicists have bolted…

A raft of announcements of interest to the farm and porticulture sectors today included –

Land Use Flexibility: Improving the environment while producing more

The Government is empowering New Zealand’s agricultural sector with greater land use flexibility, enabling innovation and sustainable productivity with a better environmental footprint, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.

“Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and enabling that is part of this Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future,” Mr McClay says.

“More than 257,000 Kiwis work in agriculture, a sector that contributes $52 billion in export revenue – supporting regional economies and jobs.

“This National-led Government is committed to backing farmers and growers, including through a suite of sensible regulatory reform and cutting of red tape and costs, combined with the latest science and technology – providing the opportunity for strong returns with a smaller environmental impact.”

Leveraging this, the Government is partnering with industry by investing $3.55 million in a $8.47 million five-year project to boost beef and sheep production, and $18.34 million on a $45.85 million seven-year project to to grow dairy output with improved environmental outcomes.

“Land use flexibility is about backing kiwi farmers and growers to feed the world.”

The dairy project will aim to deliver a 20 per cent reduction in nitrogen leaching per hectare while positioning the sector for sustainable growth and long-term resilience. It will focus on creating an uplift in economic, environmental, and social outcomes by creating replicable models for profitable and environmentally sustainable dairy farming.

The beef and sheep project establishes pilots on existing farms, with key work including modelling land use potential, supporting the adoption of virtual fencing, and analysing environmental and performance data. It is expected to increase hill country pasture utilisation by 20 per cent and feed conversion efficiency by 30 per cent.

Optimising land use to power rural productivity

A thriving food and fibre sector depends on lifting productivity through greater flexibility, and the Government is backing that future, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay say.

“The food and fibre sector is the engine room of New Zealand’s economy, delivering more than 80 per cent of our exports,” Mr Luxon says.

“That’s why we’re investing $143 million in six commercial projects to show how we can further lift productivity and returns through innovation and greater land use flexibility.”

The partnerships span dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture, forestry, whenua Māori and aquaculture, with the Government committing $59 million and the sector contributing $84 million.

“Together, these projects matter because they will demonstrate, on real farms and orchards, what is possible when innovation, capital and ambition come together.

“This is about building confidence for our farmers and producers, rural lenders and investors. To show proof that innovation can deliver growth,” Mr Luxon says.

Mr McClay says this Government’s sensible regulatory reform and cutting of red tape and costs, combined with the latest science, technology and farming methods provides the opportunity for strong returns with a smaller environmental impact.

“The National-led Government is committed to backing farmers and growers achieve their aspirations. Appropriate rules and regulation coupled with innovation ensures their ideas are not just pipedreams, but viable and profitable pathways.

“These six projects will provide the confidence they need to not only meet environmental outcomes, but respond to changing consumer demand, trade opportunities, and increasing competition in international markets.

“Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and enabling that is part of this Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future.”

A Lincoln University and ASB Bank report found that adopting a mix of land use and new technology, science and systems could boost the economy by $10 billion over the next five to seven years.

“Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and enabling that is part of this Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future.”

Government & Industry accelerate world-leading farm technology

The Government and industry are jointly backing a new AgriZeroNZ programme to help roll out world-leading farm technologies that will strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of New Zealand farmers, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today.

The Early Adoption Accelerator will contribute up to $51 million of existing Crown funding, with the Government matching dollar-for-dollar investment from industry partners.

Nicola Willis says the co-funded model is a key strength of the programme.

“What is particularly exciting about this initiative is that it is a genuine partnership between Government and industry, for every commercial dollar invested through AgriZeroNZ, the Government will match it to help scale up practical on-farm innovation.

“That means everyone has skin in the game and we are all backing innovation that can make a real difference on farms and ensure New Zealand agriculture remains globally competitive.”

Nicola Willis says the focus is on developing usable technologies and helping farmers to adopt them at scale.

“New Zealand farmers are already among the world’s most emissions-efficient producers, this programme is about helping them adopt practical new technologies that support productivity, profitability and long-term competitiveness as global markets increasingly expect lower-emissions food and fibre production.”

Todd McClay says the Early Adoption Accelerator builds on significant existing investment through AgriZeroNZ into emissions-reducing research and development.

“To date AgriZeroNZ has invested $79.9 million in 18 companies, research projects and trials, accelerating a number of tools ranging from inhibitors to probiotics, pastures, animal wearables and vaccines.

A growing pipeline of tools is expected to become available over the next few years, giving farmers more practical options to reduce emissions while maintaining production.

“One emissions reduction technology, EcoPond, is already available in New Zealand, with additional tools such as boluses expected later this year. Other technologies, including methane inhibitors, probiotics and vaccines, are expected to follow over the next few years.”

“This is not about telling farmers what to do. It is about giving them more choices to adopt technologies that fit their farm systems and business models.”

AgriZeroNZ is now seeking expressions of interest from companies and industry groups interested in participating in Early Adoption Accelerator projects over the next three years.

Further information is available on the AgriZeroNZ website

Ensuring resilience in regional New Zealand

Regional community resilience is being bolstered with new Government initiatives focused on building preparedness and capacity for dealing with adverse events, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson have today announced.

The three initiatives are:

• $160,000 to enhance and strengthen the capabilities of the country’s 16 Rural Advisory Groups to boost the resilience and preparedness of regions to withstand adverse events
• $50,000 to enable Taskforce Kiwi to swiftly mobilise and deploy its skilled volunteers to support rural communities affected by disasters
• $50,000 to develop the capacity and skills of rural leaders to plan for resilient futures for their regions

Mr McClay says both the advisory groups and Taskforce Kiwi have demonstrated effective and well-appreciated support when rural communities need it most.

“Farmers and growers across the country have seen first-hand how these groups can lend expertise and a helping hand following adverse events.”

“Rural New Zealanders are a resilient bunch and there are many in our communities who are ready to step up and provide support during an emergency.

“We want to foster these individual’s strengths so they have what they need and their communities can be prepared.”

Rural advisory groups are critical regional bodies representing the primary sector and rural communities, especially during adverse weather events. They include sector groups such as Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ.

“Supporting farmers and growers to be well prepared for adverse events helps lessen the impact of such events on farms, food supplies and the wider economy.”

Mr Patterson says resilient rural communities are not built in the midst of adversity; they are built through preparation, connection, and capability long before challenges arise. That is why investing in initiatives such as Taskforce Kiwi and Rural Advisory Groups is an investment in stronger rural communities.

These initiatives help strengthen the skills, confidence, and capacity our communities need to respond, recover, and thrive when adverse events occur.

“Both in times of crisis and ahead of them, this Government is focused on ensuring rural New Zealanders remain resilient.”

New agriculture scholarship to grow rural leaders

The Government has announced a new rural scholarship to back emerging primary sector leaders Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay says.

Three scholarships each year will support young farmers to grow in confidence and gain experience to become farm leaders of the future.

Mr McClay says recipients will receive a grant of $10,000 to go towards domestic and international study and capability building and to grow industry-wide experience and best practice.

The “Minister of Agriculture Future Leaders Scholarship” will help identify emerging leaders across the primary sector including in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

It will help foster leadership and capability development, supporting successful applicants to grow their governance skills and encouraging the creation of opportunities for practical hands-on primary sector governance experience.

The Ministry for Primary Industries will work with sector leaders to ensure the programme effectively targets capability gaps in rural governance and will develop an annual application process with relevant criteria to ensure the programme is fair and transparent.

“The Kiwi can-do attitude is world-renowned and this scholarship is about nurturing that,” Mr McClay says.

“This Government is committed to finding pathways to build the future in a way that supports the sector’s sustained success.”

Land Use Flexibility: empowering horticulture

The Government is empowering New Zealand’s horticulture sector with greater land use flexibility, enabling innovation and sustainable productivity, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.

“Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and enabling that is part of this Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future,” Mr McClay says.

“More than 50,000 Kiwis work in horticulture, a sector that contributes $8.8 billion in export revenue – supporting regional economies and jobs.

“This National-led Government is committed to backing farmers and growers, including through a suite of sensible regulatory reform and cutting of red tape and costs, combined with the latest science and technology – providing the opportunity for strong returns with a smaller environmental impact.”

Leveraging this, the Government is partnering with industry by investing $19.14 million in a five-year commercial project that aims to unlock greater value from kiwifruit orchards by integrating on-orchard innovation, advanced decision-support tools, and new science.

It focuses on increasing yields, improving fruit quality, and using water and nutrients more efficiently while reducing environmental impact, and is expected to lift national kiwifruit tray volumes and export sales to $7.9 billion by 2035/36, with a total implied economic impact of about $15.8 billion.

“Land use flexibility is about backing kiwi farmers and growers to feed the world.”

This work is funded in partnership with Zespri and New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated for a total project cost of $47.87 million.

“Data and information from this and similar projects will be shared with farmers and growers to give them further confidence to innovate and grow their businesses – supporting a more productive and responsive sector that is better positioned to feed New Zealand and the world.”

“The primary industries are the backbone of this economy and the lifeblood of rural communities. Supporting their success is a priority for this Government.”

Land Use Flexibility: greater options for whenua Māori

Greater land use flexibility ensures whenua Māori landowners can achieve their productivity and environmental aspirations, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say.

“Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and enabling that is part of this Government’s commitment to fixing the basics and building the future,” Mr McClay says.

“This National-led Government is committed to backing farmers and growers, including through sensible regulatory reform and the cutting of red tape and costs, combined with the latest science, technology and farming methods provides the opportunity for strong returns with a smaller environmental impact.”

Leveraging this, the Government is investing up to $2.6 million over two years in a project that uses metrics to enhance Māori landowners’ understanding of their farming systems, provide options to optimise farm production and land uses and maintain or improve environmental performance.

“Land use flexibility is about backing kiwi farmers and growers to feed the world.”

This work is being undertaken in partnership with Te Arawa Primary Sector Incorporated.

“The project will work with Māori landowners to identify options to generate more value from their land, grow their businesses and help protect their whenua for future generations,” Mr Potaka says.

Early modelling identified potential productivity and profitability gains ranging from 10 to 30 per cent, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions ranging from 5 to 25 per cent.

“Data and information from this and similar projects will be shared with farmers and growers to give them further confidence to innovate and grow their businesses – supporting a more productive and responsive sector that is better positioned to feed New Zealand and the world,” Mr McClay says.

“The primary industries are the backbone of this economy and the lifeblood of rural communities. Supporting their success is a priority for this Government.”

Source:  The Beehive