KEY POINTS:
New Zealand needs to learn how to sell less produce for more money, a primary production summit in Christchurch was told yesterday.
Brand strategist Brian Richards, who has been part of extensive rebranding projects for exporters, told the 2020 Summit that only countries blessed with cheap labour, low-cost water, cheap energy and capital could hope to keep selling crops at competitive prices for a sustained period.
New Zealand's fortunes were still precariously linked to exchange rate movements, processing capacity and world commodity prices. The nation's 25 main meatworks were held by three owners - and some of the "old guard" wished it was two - and many were processing cattle for negative returns, just to keep up throughput.
New Zealand had no hope of competing in its key North American market against giant South American producers in future. Mr Richards said New Zealand needed to breed a flock of entrepreneurial engineers and scientists, because its future lay in biotechnology.
New Zealand could not double meat production or triple dairy output without stressing the environment.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen told the summit that the nation's longterm economic competitiveness would be increasingly based on the success of its "clean and green" national branding.
- NZPA
