Developments

Compostable cucumber wrap adapted for magazines

A compostable shrink-wrap developed in South Australia for cucumbers has been adapted to magazine film opening up a potentially huge market for its Adelaide manufacturer. The alternative plastic wrapping was invented by Adelaide-based compostable bag producer BioBag World Australia last year with a number of supermarket chains now using the product for fruit and veg. The bio-wrap was first used on cucumbers sold at South Australian independent grocer Drakes Supermarkets following a partnership with produce and packaging business IG Fresh Produce. Company managing director Scott Morton said the development of the plastic alternative mailing film was the result of a partnership with South Australian-based Direct Mail Centre of Australia. “It took us about a month to develop the first film wrap, which was an industrial compost version,” Morton said. “We then tried to take it one step further and we created a new version which was suitable for home compost … so that even outside of South Australia, where industrial compost isn’t necessarily available, we would have a solution.” The cucumber wrap was launched in September as an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional polyethylene plastic wrap and has since been adapted for a range of uses – most recently as a magazine film. BioBag World Australia’s bioplastic film is made from a compostable resin called Mater-Bi that uses substances obtained from plants including non-genetically modified corn starch. The company’s Adelaide operation is the Australian base of BioBag World, which is headquartered in Norway and has a number of other subsidiaries around the globe. According to the State Government’s environmental services body Green Industries SA, plastic production rose from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014 and is estimated to weigh almost the same amount as the entire human population. Green Industries SA expects plastic waste to […]

First Fieldays Online a virtual success

The Fieldays Online concept and digital platform was created in just under 108 days. As New Zealand went into the national lockdown the New Zealand National Fieldays Society (NZNFS) began building an online event following the cancellation of the physical Fieldays; effectively transforming the largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere into a completely virtual experience. The success of the event, which was held from the 13th – 26th July, was measured in several ways, from visitor numbers to global reach. Total digital visitors hit 90,455, with attendees from over 75 countries accessing nearly 300 exhibitors and over 24 hours of Fieldays TV content. Digital adoption in higher age groups exceeded expectations with 40 per cent of registered users in the 50+ age group. “The analytics show great viewership and engagement with the explosion of international visitors and, locally, a much higher regional spread beyond the traditional Fieldays. The success of this years’ event was a testament to the strong collaboration with our exhibitors and our relationships with industry leaders that got behind it despite not having a benchmark,” said Peter Nation, CEO NZNFS. The timing of the event was positioned to allow time for exhibitors to return to business post lockdown and leverage the event to the fullest; whilst this fell during the beginning of calving, registered users in the dairy industry ranked third in industry type. “It’s great to see Fieldays increasingly showcasing how we take our agricultural innovation global. Supporting growth and uptake of agritech will help future-proof the industry, increase high-value exports while improving sustainability and efficiency,” remarked Simon Yarrow, Agritech Group Manager at Callaghan Innovation. International supporters, Enterprise Ireland, who attended Fieldays for the 14th year, found that moving to an online event widened engagement with clients and colleagues overseas. “Despite the cancellation of the […]

Research finds meat consumers prefer local

The country of origin is the number one characteristic consumers use when choosing meat, and they mostly prefer their own local products, a new Lincoln University study shows. This emphasis on locally grown meat was identified in new research* by Dr Nic Lees and Joshua Aboah. Dr Lees said the results had significant implications for New Zealand meat exporters, as in many markets New Zealand is competing with local products. “In these countries we need to provide consumers with a reason to choose our products rather than their locally produced beef or lamb. “Traditionally we have been able to compete by selling at a lower price. He said while the research showed that price is an important factor, there were other areas New Zealand could focus on to compete. For example, Dr Lees said, the fourth most important factor for consumers was the type of production system. “New Zealand has an advantage here because of our natural, grass-fed farming systems. “There is an opportunity to take greater advantage of this, however this requires communicating these attributes directly to consumers.” In the research, they sought to determine the most important indicators of quality that consumers use in their purchasing decisions, and analysed the results of 47 recent research articles on the topic. There were some exceptions to the “local products first” finding in countries where their consumers do not having confidence in their own food safety standards, such as China and Brazil. *Consumers use of quality cues for meat purchase: Research trends and future pathways https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174020300966?via%3Dihub

Ecogas processing of food waste to produce energy and bio-fertiliser at Reporoa

The start of construction of New Zealand’s first large-scale food waste-to-bioenergy facility at Reporoa, in the central North Island[1] will provide a model for all communities. The collection and processing of food wastes into bioenergy and bio-fertiliser will provide an example that all communities across New Zealand could follow said the Bioenergy Association. Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association said that “ The Ecogas processing of food waste uses proven technologies and is widely done in most other countries. New Zealand has been slow to adopt circular economy principles where food wastes are processed to make other products rather than discharge to landfill. There is no reason why all communities across New Zealand could not have zero organic waste going to landfill by 2030.” “The production of biogas from the waste will allow the generation of electricity, provide hot house heating, produce high value biofertiliser, and provide carbon dioxide for enhanced plant growth in the hot houses. These are valuable products which will reduce T & G Fresh’s horticulture operating costs and increase productivity. ‘This is on top of the avoided cost of disposing of organic wastes from the site, as well as those communities who have contracted to supply organic waste instead of disposing of it into landfills.” The BioenergyAssociation has identified that 1.8Mt CO2-e of greenhouse gases could be reduced if this type of project was extended to other food processors and communities. Mr Cox said that “Through its assistance from the Provincial Growth Fund it is great that the Government has recognised that using organic waste to produce energy and other co-products is good for business and communities and that proactive climate change policies can have a very positive upside to communities and the economy.” [1] EcoGas and T & G Global announcement https://tandg.global/new-zealands-first-food-waste-to-bioenergy-facility-gets-underway/

Igniting Irish and Kiwi innovation at Fieldays Online

World leaders in agriculture, New Zealand and Ireland have long been connected by a shared focus on innovation. ‘ The two island nations, despite being on opposite sides of the globe, both continue to push boundaries in the agritech sector. Nowhere is this clearer than the special relationship between the New Zealand National Fieldays Society and Enterprise Ireland. Over the years the Society has sent New Zealand innovations to the Irish National Ploughing Championships to participate in the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Awards and regularly hosts entrants from Ireland in the Fieldays Innovation Awards programme. Both platforms have been invaluable steppingstones for Irish and Kiwi companies into each other’s market. “This dynamic connection allows us to share knowledge and support our local entrants as they look to work in the Irish market. Covid-19 has highlighted the fundamental role of agriculture and food production around the world. Together New Zealand and Ireland are demonstrating how innovation is at the centre of stabilizing this for the future and the need to encourage and support innovators,” says Fieldays Innovation Awards event organiser, Gail Hendricks. Despite the physical Fieldays being cancelled this year, Fieldays Online provided a borderless digital platform for the awards for two weeks, with winners announced virtually on Friday 24th July. James Maloney, Senior Regional Development Executive at Enterprise Ireland, is a regular visitor to Fieldays and recognises the innovative commonalities between the two great agricultural nations. “It is a real bonus that Fieldays gave them a platform in 2020, having the innovative spirit and courage to adapt and deliver a virtual show in these very challenging times. Farming never stops and the companies and innovations involved in this resilient sector work with them every step of the way. “Both countries excel in pasture-based farming to deliver quality dairy food exports across […]

DairyNZ: RMA changes must deliver better outcomes

DairyNZ is backing changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) to deliver reduced compliance costs for farmers, increase efficiency and improve environmental outcomes. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said a comprehensive reform of the RMA is long overdue and would be a positive step not only for farmers but all New Zealanders. “The RMA has become too unpredictable and inefficient for applicants. Farmers will be keen to see this reform deliver a process which is faster, simpler and less costly,” said Dr Mackle. “Potentially replacing the RMA with two separate pieces of legislation for environment and planning makes a lot of sense and will deliver better outcomes for farm environments, which face different issues than our urban counterparts. “A separate environment act would also support clear and efficient environmental rule settings,” said Dr Mackle. “The proposal for each region to put forward a combined development plan has some merit. A regional view could support better decision-making on issues such as the appropriate use of land to lock up carbon and the opportunities to support land use flexibility through new irrigation. “We are asking all political parties to reflect seriously on these recommendations and to work quickly on achieving meaningful reform in the next term of Parliament.”

M.bovis eradication makes gains three years on from detection

New Zealand’s world-first effort to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis has made significant progress with the number of infected properties dropping to new lows, three years to the day since it was first detected in New Zealand. “To date, 250 properties have been infected by the disease – with all but four now clear of it,” Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “The hard and early approach with which we responded to Covid-19 was the exact same approach we took early on in our term as a Government to eradicate M.bovis to protect our national herd, the economic base of our primary sector, and the social good of the country,” Damien O’Connor said. “Key to the success are our programme partners DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand. They were part of the bold decision to attempt to eradicate this disease and have been part of our efforts since the very beginning. “It was estimated that allowing the disease to spread could cause $1.3 billion in economic losses in the first ten years alone, along with substantial animal welfare issues, and serious ongoing challenges for farmers having to manage the disease within their herds. “One key measure of success of our 10-year eradication plan, the Estimated Dissemination Rate (EDR), shows strongly that we have M.bovis firmly in our sights. If the EDR is greater than one, then the disease is growing. If it’s below one, we’re shrinking the disease. The EDR is now at 0.4, which is down from over two at the start of the outbreak, so we are looking harder to find fewer infected animals. “We’ve shown, again, that we’re able to do what others countries have not in terms of disease eradication efforts. That’s something our farming community should be really proud of. “Allowing the disease […]

Genetic tools explain biocontrol mystery

Genetic diversity may be key to effective biocontrol, says an author of a paper investigating why a previously successful biocontrol agent has stopped working in parts of New Zealand. And that shows that scientists need to understand as much as possible about the genetics of potential biocontrol agents and their target pests from the outset, says Prof Stephen Goldson, Programme Leader at the Bio-Protection Research Centre. The scientists – including Dr Tom Harrop and Professor Peter Dearden from the Bio-Protection Research Centre and Genomics Aotearoa, and Dr Jeanne Jacobs from AgResearch, Lincoln – have shed light on why Argentine stem weevils have developed resistance to the parasitoid wasp Microtonus hyperodae, introduced in the 1990s to control them. Argentine stem weevils are a major pasture pest on New Zealand farms. Using DNA analysis and genome sequencing tools that were not available until very recently, the scientists measured the genetic variation in weevils collected from 10 locations around New Zealand. This revealed that the weevils are much more genetically diverse than previously thought. “Many scientists had presumed that Argentine stem weevils were probably introduced to New Zealand just once in the early 20th Century,” says Prof Goldson. “But the genetic variation discovered suggests they were probably introduced several times, and in much larger numbers than thought.” This genetic variation has allowed the weevils, which reproduce sexually, to mix their genes and become resistant to M. hyperodae, which reproduces asexually and so cannot easily evolve further. Three years ago, the same scientists presented compelling evidence the weevils were developing resistance to the parasitoid. This was a world first – there had never been a documented case of an agricultural pest out-evolving its introduced predator before. But the BPRC ecologists didn’t know exactly how or why this had happened so quickly. Ongoing study suggests […]

Lincoln students stepping up to help rural contractors

Lincoln students will be able to help ease the pressure on rural contractors struggling to fill the gap a lack of migrant workers is creating in the primary sector due to Covid-19 restrictions. Alongside offering qualifications designed to meet the future employment needs of the food and fibre sector, Lincoln has taken the move to help the sector now, modifying its rules around compulsory practical work requirements to include contracting. The Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund is covering course costs for four Lincoln University sub-degree programmes, Diplomas in Horticulture, Agriculture, Farm Management and Organic Agri-Food Production, from July 2020 until December 2022. All have a practical work requirement, as do many other programmes at the land-based university. Contractor work could include hay baling and silage baling, as well as spraying, muck spreading, shearing, ploughing and other tractor operation and bulk supplementary feed production. Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bruce McKenzie, said Lincoln was strongly connected to the sector and he had a discussion with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor about how to help fill this need. Agribusiness lecturer, Dan Smith, said typically a large number of British and Irish workers travel here to complete this work and many contractors would usually be in the United Kingdom recruiting staff now. “Given the current global pandemic it is unlikely these workers will have the freedom to come here which will place a lot of pressure on these businesses, and this was putting pressure on contractors to fill their needs.” He said agricultural degrees and diplomas at Lincoln include a practical work component where students are required to work on farm to gain experience. “This year Lincoln University will extend the parameters of this practical work to allow students to get out and work for rural contractors. We see the value in this experience and […]

Faces of the future, youth making their mark in the Agri-sector

The Fieldays Online, ‘This Working Life – Careers in the Agri-sector’ series, shines a light on six young people making a difference in the primary sector. The series offers a snapshot into their journeys into the industry and why they are passionate about what they do. For Cheyenne Wilson and Sam Waugh, two dairy farmers featured, education, telling our stories better and shifting culture are key to securing a bright future for the Agri-industry. We caught up with them to hear more about their experiences. Cheyenne Wilson’s dream is to see rangatahi move into and thrive in the primary industries. The 27-year-old Southlander worked in the dairy sector full time for seven years, progressing from a calf rearer to farm manager before making the decision to head to Lincoln University and study towards an Agriculture Commerce Degree. She trained through Primary ITO while working in the industry but took the opportunity to broaden and strengthen her knowledge and skillset. Of Ngati Awa and Tuhoe descent, Cheyenne was also a finalist in the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer of the Year Award in 2018. Her vision of the future is about solving two issues, getting young Maori passionate about the industry and into jobs while shifting the culture in and outside of the primary sector. As someone who wasn’t sure about what she wanted to do after high school Cheyenne recognises the need to keep ones’ options open. “I don’t think the answer is saying ok you don’t have a job, just go and milk cows. That only adds to the stigma. If someone isn’t passionate about it then don’t put them in the dairy sector. It’s not a one size fits all job. “There’s also a lack of relatable people, especially for young Maori, this is also a bigger issue for young people […]

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Developments