Expert urges farmers to add value

GOOD SCIENCE: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth with National Rural Business Network co-ordinator Daile Jones. PHOTO/CHRISTINE ALLEN

One of the country's leading agricultural scientists says Northland food producers need to market the New Zealand "green halo" to overseas consumers, because the region is not capitalising on the country's eco-food expertise.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, a soil specialist and Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Waikato Management School, was at the Barge Showgrounds Events Centre in Whangarei last Tuesday to speak to agri-businesses as part of the launch of the Northland Rural Business Network.

She said there was data to show that consumers wanted food from free-range cows and a knowledge of how the food was produced.

"We're not telling the New Zealand story very well. We are failing to market food with the green halo. Consumers think that eco-label foods taste better," she said.
"With online ordering, we can send chilled New Zealand food to consumers in China."
She said NZ food ticked the boxes for animal welfare, human welfare and sustainability.

Part of Rowarth's work at Waikato involved the study of how producers could "bring the consumer back to the farm".
The country also had an opportunity to show it was an eco-efficient land in which to grow produce.

The scientist said Northland should also add value to milk products, for example, by creating an Omega 3-rich Manuka honey ice-cream.
"We missed the Greek yoghurt boat. What happened?"

She also said the recent trend of Asian companies setting up food production companies here to ship produce back to Asian made no sense.

The outspoken professor was also not impressed with regional councils' approach to environmental policy to regulate farming.

"The polices tend to be ahead of science." She said regional councils needed to work more closely with farmers.
"Regional councils should talk to top farmers to see what they are doing so it can be applied elsewhere. Farmers know their own land and think holistically."

Councils were "beating up" agri-businesses and preventing "the people who can fix the problem from coming in", as farmers did not want to be seen as "anything other than stars".

Rowarth urged Northland farmers to question available science and request that decisions made on-farm be based in solid, good science.

She also criticised Steven Joyce's Budget 2015 announcement to create three regional research institutes to be based outside of the major urban centres.
Instead, she said, they were making grand announcements about new funds and new centres, while removing support from existing facilities, such as Niwa and AgResearch.