Global interest in biological farming
An invited presentation from a New Zealand professor on Biological Farming was well received by the Hindu business community and investors from around the world.
DairyNZ will sponsor the study by New Zealand Biological Farming Systems Research Centre (NZBFSRC). The study will identify research interests and needs on biological farming systems in New Zealand. This will be done by contacting farmers, firms and other research organisations who have been working in the area of sustainable farming.
The scoping study will help to identify areas of research where biological farming will add to the sustainability of New Zealand farming. It will identify independently verified research that has already been done on biological farming systems in relation to New Zealand dairy farming and aim to put science behind the various claims around bio farming.
NZBFSRC's Gifford McFadden says stakeholder input is vital for this and for future research on sustainable farming systems.
Participants at last month's first national conference are being contacted for their input.
"The stakeholder list includes well known consultants among the farming community who raised interesting questions about biological farming," says McFadden.
Following the announcement of the establishment of NZBFSRC, there were a number of positive responses from farmers, companies dealing with biological fertiliser, researchers, and the general public, says the centre's senior scientist Guna Magesan.
The NZBFSRC is the trade name of the Rotorua Lakes and Land Trust Inc (RLLT), a joint venture between Te Arawa Federation of Maori Authorities and Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers.
