The Farmers Club Charitable Trust Travel Bursary The Supply Chain of Knowledge Transfer in New Zealand Agriculture Colin S A Dargie October / November 2008 In my role as an Agricultural Consultant with SAC Farm Business Services, I deliver a wide range of consultancy services to farmers and other rural businesses in Eastern Scotland. A key part of this role is helping these businesses learn about and adopt new ideas and technologies to improve their overall business performance. In order to carry this out effectively, knowledge & technology transfer must be delivered in an efficient, effective and cost effective manner. New Zealand farmers have long been hailed as innovators with a thirst for knowledge, new ideas and new technologies to improve their business performance. My Farmers Club Charitable Trust study tour afforded me the opportunity to come face to face with leading farmers, consultants, advisers & scientists across New Zealand and to learn about new and innovative methods of knowledge & technology transfer. It was made clear to me throughout my study tour that New Zealand farmers have a thirst for knowledge to improve the overall profitability, viability and sustainability of their farming businesses. Theirs is an adaptable industry with the willingness to change to meet market requirements and meet personal and business objectives. Business growth and change can only occur through the uptake of knowledge to allow effective decision making. Until the late 1980s, New Zealand farmers benefited from a network of government funded extension officers providing a free advice service to farmers as a means of getting science and technology into practice on farm. Since then, methods of knowledge and technology transfer have changed and farmers are more reliant on private consultants and industry funded initiatives from which to gain knowledge. My study tour looked to investigate different methods of delivery and evaluate the pros and cons of each. The Monitor Farm Programme has been one of the great success stories of Knowledge Transfer in New Zealand agriculture and the concept has been adopted successfully in Scotland in recent years. The concept has served the meat & wool industry well in New Zealand for over ten years now. The NZ deer industry has follow suit with ‘focus farms’ based on the monitor farm model. Like all good business models, change is inevitable and necessary to maintain impact and to continue to represent good value to funders and participants. My study tour brought me face to face with Monitor Farmers, facilitators, scientists and others with an involvement in Monitor Farms. Through discussion with these parties, some shortfalls in the effectiveness of the Monitor Farm Programme were highlighted.