November 6, 2007

New Zealand's agricultural sector urged to modernise

New Zealand's dairy farmers are being warned to focus on energy and greenhouse gas efficiency if they want to remain competitive with their European counterparts, according to AgResearch.

The New Zealand Herald reported that an AgResearch-commissioned sustainability study of the country's farms found that while they remained more efficient than their EU counterparts, the gap was closing.

AgResearch principal scientist Dr Stewart Ledgard said New Zealand's dairy farms were ahead of those in the EU in terms of on-farm energy use and food miles. However, this "competitive advantage is diminishing", the paper quoted him as saying.

Farmers need to start using knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions to improve farm practices or plan intensification options to retain their competitive advantage, he added.

He suggested increasing productivity per animal and optimising use of effluent to reduce fertiliser to lower emissions.

New Zealand's farmers are to join the Government's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), aimed at driving down New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, in 2013.

Meanwhile, the country was urged to embrace GM technology or face degeneraton into third world status. The warning came from PGG Wrightson group general manager of technology services Paul Tocker.

If New Zealand does not keep up, the opportunities afforded would pass by and the nation would never catch up, he added. GM technology can be used to create drought-resistant plants with fewer greenhouse gas emissions and better production levels, he said.