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MAKING more value added products will provide greater confidence to farmers, according to Federated Farmers vice president Dr William Rolleston.
Speaking this week at the World Farmers Organisation conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rolleston urged agricultural stakeholders must work together to boost value added returns.
He says increasing the value of products can provide farmers with confidence about their future.
"Developing new products tailored to specific market preferences and needs, provides opportunity for increased farm gate returns, without any increase in volume.
"It is here where we need a close collaboration between farmers, scientists, processors and marketers to communicate market requirements into the science pipeline.
"As farmers, we can sometimes feel disconnected from the end market, yet it is the end market we need to understand most because that determines not just how we farm, but what we farm."
Rolleston suggests we can increase the value of our products by improving our current products or we can create new and novel food products like sweet tasting kiwiberries - products that stimulate demand and maximise returns through premium prices in domestic and international markets.
"So we need scientists to be thinking outside the square as well. Research can take some direction from its users and that is important but as Henry Ford famously said, "If I listened to my customers I would have built a faster horse."
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
