Agriculture still NZ's backbone

By PHILIPPA STEVENSON agricultural editor

Agriculture will be the heart of any knowledge economy for New Zealand, and those thinking otherwise are deluding themselves, says Wrightson head Dr Allan Freeth.

He says New Zealand is having some success with computers, software, electronics and internet companies, but people are kidding themselves if they believe that is where our business future lies.

"The so-called knowledge economy of New Zealand has its heart in agriculture and New Zealand's primary industries," Dr Freeth told the Wrightson Agmardt young farmer contest final at Lincoln University.

But a future as an agricultural nation depended on New Zealanders recognising and facing up to challenges like biotechnology. Wrightson believed that appropriate and safe biotechnology would be of fundamental importance to the future.

The company supported the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, and had signed up to the voluntary moratorium, which meant it would not conduct any field trials of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) anywhere in the world until the commission had considered the issue.

But biotechnology was not just about GMOs, said Dr Freeth. It was also a tool to help give an understanding of plants and animals, which could improve methods of agriculture.

Such knowledge could contribute to the nation's economy in ways that would dwarf the contribution from dot.com business.

Dr Freeth said observers had confused a shift by agricultural industries from commodities to value-added strategies with a rejection of the sector.

Wrightson's plan was build on its traditional businesses to find new solutions for its clients worldwide.

"New Zealand has the ability to use the same approach to build its knowledge economy from this country's backbone of food, fibre and bio-related industries."

Dr Freeth said the path would require leadership to drive strategies that reduced the country's dependency on pure commodity activities, and courage to deal with the opportunities and threats presented by new and, sometimes frightening advances in technology.

Leadership would also be needed to increase linkages between research and development, on-farm investment, distribution, and consumer demand.