Whanganui farm land should be generating more income, Mark Ward has told a full Whanganui District Council meeting.
He heads up Whanganui and Partners, charged with improving the district economy. Trained as a scientist, he likes facts and figures. He's been studying those of his new district, and presented some on March 12.
He said only 3.5 per cent of total district GDP, $54 million, is from agriculture. That's not much considering the size of the district, though he realises a lot of land is very steep.
Yet farmers pay 7 per cent of the funding towards economic development, Whanganui Rural Community Board chairman Tex Matthews said. He asked where they get value.
Ward acknowledged not enough had been done in the agribusiness sector, and said it was up to him to rectify. His organisation has been looking at options for growing high value crops on the district's best soils.