The New Zealand National Fieldays Society (NZNFS) has announced the theme for Fieldays 2015 – ‘Growing our capability in agribusiness’.
It stems from the need to build on New Zealand’s position as a leader in agriculture, and recognises the challenges in maintaining and growing a skilled workforce.
The challenge to attract New Zealand’s best to the agricultural and primary sector highlights the demand for advancing education around agribusiness, and NZNFS, believes ‘growing our capability in agribusiness’ to be a crucial theme for New Zealand’s agri sector.
“If we as New Zealanders wish to double exports by 2025, there needs to be a major shift in thinking and attitude towards what ‘agriculture’, ‘agribusiness’ and ‘farming’ encompass in 2015 and beyond. What got us here today won’t continue to take us forward,” says NZNFS chief executive officer Jon Calder.
“The rapid development of innovation and technology in farming, coupled with increasing requirements around food safety and traceability mandates a shift in how we equip and prepare those working in agriculture, and those that will be our future workforce,” he says.
One of Fieldays’ two strategic partners, the University of Waikato (UoW), says it’s aim is to help the agribusiness industry make a step change.
UoW Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford says the University’s aim is to help the agribusiness industry to make a step-change.
“We are doing that with well-rounded agribusiness graduates, researchers who are making a difference in everything from supply chain management to soils and freshwater management, and expertise that provides a formidable mix for industry clients,” he says.
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“Next year’s theme is particularly relevant as rising global demand for protein and fresh produce presents our agri sector with a historic long-term growth opportunity – if we are geared up to grasp it,” says ANZ New Zealand commercial and agri managing director Graham Turley
“Successful farming is increasingly about running a successful business. That means growing capability in our agribusiness sector will be about ensuring participants are equipped as farmers and business owners, with the expertise, technology and resources to lift productivity.”
