Editorial: War's over
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
During 2008–11, labour productivity in the agriculture industry increased 3.4% a year, Statistics New Zealand says. Agriculture was the main contributor to labour productivity in the measured sector, which increased 0.5%.
"Agriculture output has increased across the 2008 to 2011 period, showing a recovery from the severe drought of 2008," national accounts manager Rachael Milicich says. "Throughout this period, labour inputs have shown little change, resulting in rising labour productivity for the industry."
Other industries that made a significant contribution to labour productivity were finance and insurance services, up 2.7%, and information media and telecommunications, up 4.3%.
Labour productivity measures the quantity of goods and services (output) produced for each hour of labour. Increases in labour productivity show that more output is produced by an industry for each hour of labour worked.
Multifactor productivity results for 2008–11 were varied. The total measured sector declined 0.9%. Multifactor productivity declined 7.1% for the mining industry, and 5.9% for the administration and support services industry. This was offset by increases in agriculture, up 2.8%, and other services, up 1.1%. Other services include activities such as repair and maintenance of machinery and personal care.
Multifactor productivity measures how efficiently goods and services are produced in the economy. For example, agriculture outputs grew faster than the inputs (hours of labour, and capital, like land and buildings) used to produce them.
These industry productivity statistics underlie the measured sector productivity series, released 18 March 2013, and update the existing suite of industry productivity statistics.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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