10 minute read
Technology
by AgriHQ
There are challenges now facing the sector, which probably weren’t as apparent prior to covid-19.
Peter Wren-Hilton
fact that many people who work in the agritech sector grew up on farms and so there isn’t that kind of distance between technology and farming.”
He says the message got good feedback and since the pandemic broke out interest in NZ has grown thanks to the apparent success in stamping out the virus and limiting the death toll.
“In some ways that presents us with an opportunity which we’re keen to see how we can leverage.
“Within the past week I’ve had separate conversations with the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America, Australia and Singapore. There’s a lot of interest in what we’re doing.”
Flagship projects like NZ’s involvement in Farm 2050, an initiative launched in 2014 by Google chairman Eric Schmidt to find new technology to produce more food sustainably to feed a projected global population of 10 billion, are still on including a three-year series of field trials to be done here.
Agritech New Zealand tells the story of how cultural awareness of the land and that many people who work in the agritech sector grew up on farms so the distance between farming and technology has reduced.
“One of the short-term challenges is that some of the offshore companies that were looking to come into NZ, like Syngenta, Corteva and Bayer Crop Science, are working through how they can operate in a NZ environment when potentially a lot of their folk will be offshore but in terms of the core fundamental planning, that’s ongoing.”
Another of the projects identified in the transformation plan, the establishment of a robotics academy to help NZ become a world leader in this field, is also still on the drawing board.
“Right now some research is being undertaken, led by MBIE, to understand what is NZ’s capability from both a research perspective and a company perspective and once we’ve done an audit on our capability we can begin to frame what an academy might look like.”
In July Agritech NZ will hold workshops in Hamilton, Auckland and Lincoln to which industry and researchers in the agritech sector will be invited to talk about what support they need to realise their export ambitions. Government representatives will also be there to listen.
And the plan will be launched in July. n
New Zealand is involved in Farm 2050, an initiative launched in 2014 by Google chairman Eric Schmidt to find new technology to produce more food sustainably to feed a projected global population of 10 billion.
Time for an upgrade
GERARD HUTCHING
NEW Zealand’s dairy genetics database is 20 years old and no longer fit for purpose, prompting a $1 million investment to upgrade it.
DairyNZ animal evaluation manager Brian Wickham said the overhaul, largely funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, has two main components. It will create an independent system and support breed societies.
The data collected is very important, enabling the sector to fast-track genetic gains for traits important to farmers using artificial insemination.
The new system will record and collate vital data on a range of important traits of dairy cows, especially the non-production traits.
Each year physical and behavioural traits of 50,000 dairy cows are assessed by breed societies to help evaluate the performance of NZ’s top breeding bulls.
“Besides production traits there are also important ones such as the look of an animal and adaptability to milking – something that you can’t see but a farmer would know,” Wickham said.
“It’s replacing a system that was previously part of LIC’s database but is now more independent of LIC.”
Wickham said a database collecting information on traits other than production (TOP) has been around since the late 1980s but is out of date.
The second component of the system is to support breed societies with registrations, classifications and other services.
Holstein Friesian NZ general manager Cherilyn Watson said the old system has major limitations and can’t deal with the rise in the use of genomic technologies.
“The data collected by breed societies on behalf of their members and genetics companies is accessible to all dairy farmers. It’s a vital industry-good service which is independent and impartial.”
MPI has given $792,000 from of its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund. The work is expected to be completed by November.
DairyNZ animal evaluation manager Brian Wickham says the new database will record and collate vital data on a range of important traits of dairy cows.
The new database is being jointly developed by the independent, not-forprofit, dairy cattle breed societies, which include Holstein Friesian NZ and Jersey NZ.
MPI investment programmes director Steve Penno said the TOP data collected through the database will help all dairy farmers breed more efficient cows that are healthy and live longer.
“This project attracted SFF Futures investment because of the clear animal health, environmental and economic outcomes being sought and its aim of future-proofing our dairy industry by having access to the best genetics.”
The new, independent system will integrate with the Dairy Industry Good Animal Database, managed by DairyNZ subsidiary NZ Animal Evaluation.
It will provide NZ’s dairy industry with access to the latest technology, improved data and the ability to add new traits in line with world standards, something not possible now.
“The key to utilising genomic technology is having access to accurate phenotypes in suitable training populations,” Wickham said.
“The more flexible and adaptable TOP system we’re developing will facilitate independent collection of phenotype data for calibrating and validating our genomic predictions.” n
Rural Women president Fiona Gower, with her daughter Emily at the 2019 Fieldays, says the new Animal Health Study Grant will help attract vets and vet nurses to rural areas.
Look after calves and community
SUPPORTING hard-working rural women and their communities for close to a century, Rural Women has been a huge part of so many rural New Zealanders lives including that of its president Fiona Gower, a proud third-generation member.
Rural Women has changed the perception women on farms are just farmers’ wives. They are farmers in their own right, they are often business owners and mothers active in building connections and supporting their communities.
Undoubtedly one of Rural Women’s greatest strengths is its members. With branches and groups nationwide it provides a platform for members to connect and build friendships with others in their rural communities.
Women make a huge contribution to the rural sector and Rural Women wants to empower future rural female leaders by nurturing their talents and helping them grow. With a strong charitable history Rural Women provides grants to rural women and girls, encouraging recipients to give back to their own rural communities.
“We are in the midst of calf rearing season – a critical time for dairy farmers and a time of the year we know rural women, in particular, are actively involved in,” Gower said.
“Rearing calves into a future dairy herd is a tough and demanding role requiring care, nurture and hard work, qualities commonly found in rural women.”
This season, animal health company Virbac NZ has partnered with Rural Women with proceeds from the sale of its calf oral electrolyte products being donated to the organisation.
The money will fund the new Animal Health Study Grant, available to anyone studying in the veterinary or vet nursing field with special consideration given to those living and working in small or rural communities.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for a partnership. It will provide an opportunity for Virbac and Rural Women to support those training in the veterinary field to qualify and get to work in the rural practices,” Gower says.
“Rural NZ struggles to attract professionals for a number of reasons. Graduates now have few ties or little understanding of living rurally so they haven’t considered it.”
A perception of lack of access to services for professionals and their families can also be seen as a drawback, Gower says.
“The benefits of living in small rural communities are not always promoted. Bonding of professionals to rural professions is a good way to give them a taste of rural life and encourage them to consider a permanent move to the country.” n
MORE:
ruralwomen.nz or calfscours.co.nz
Dairy focus at AgResearch
GERARD HUTCHING
THE new $45 million education, science and innovation precinct at Lincoln will include a strong focus on driving advances in the dairy industry.
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Megan Woods said the funding will give AgResearch the capital needed to move to the next phase of building a scientific research facility and corporate headquarters on the Lincoln University campus.
AgResearch will apply for resource and building consents later this year and hopes to start construction in 2021. The completion of the facility housing 200 staff is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Research director Dr Trevor Stuthridge said the facility will have three key dairyrelated goals: to drive technologies, study the relationship between genetics and food quality and investigate resilience.
“A major focus will be driving advances in the digital agriculture space to support the New Zealand dairy sector,” Stuthridge said.
“We think a key advantage of having a modern, top-class, new research facility at Lincoln is that it will help us attract new partners from around the world who work on the cutting edge with new technology platforms, which we can help Kiwi dairy farmers to adapt and adopt on their farms.
“In the years ahead the ability to harness the vast amount of data available on-farm from sensors and other technologies will be crucial to staying ahead in the global marketplace.”
The second focal point will be a deeper dive into research around the relationship between genetics and food quality and work around provenance of dairy products and how best to take advantage of that.
Finally, the centre will address the resilience of the dairy industry and how it can best respond to climate change and pests and the rise of new markets. It will also help farmers respond to changing environmental standards and policies and to future-proof their operations.
An artist’s impression of the new $45 million AgResearch facility at Lincoln University.
New Zealand needs research facilities to help generate innovative science that ensures our export products remain internationally sought after. Dr Trevor Stuthridge
“We are already working with multiple other organisations on various projects in the dairy space, such as the trial seeking to identify a possible link between the methane cows produce and their genetics, but we think the new Lincoln facility will help us become even better aligned with the likes of the universities on the most pressing issues for the dairy sector,” Stuthridge said.
AgResearch chairman Dr Paul Reynolds said the facility will encourage more collaboration in food and fibre research and innovation to help farmers and growers manage challenges and seize opportunities for getting more economic value out of products.
“NZ needs research facilities to help generate innovative science that ensures our export products remain internationally sought after.
“The build will be a significant boost to the Canterbury economy, land-based science and the farming sectors.”
AgResearch bought a 15,000 square metre block from Lincoln University earlier this year. The co-location arrangement means both research entities can consolidate their already close working relationship. The total budget for the 8000 square metre build is about $97m.
Originally it was planned to build a $206m joint facility with 900 scientists from Crown research institutes including AgResearch, Landcare Research, Plant and Food Research and DairyNZ.
It would have been the largest agricultural research centre in the southern hemisphere and was considered crucial to Lincoln’s future. However, Lincoln is now going it alone with a new building next to the AgResearch one. n
