increase font size
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.
Productive industries shouldn’t be strangled in red tape, they need to be able to operate and grow, using technology to meet rising expectations for environmental standards, according to Dudley Clemens – environmental manager at J Swap Ltd.
OPINION: News that the Labour Government is spending taxpayer money to advertise to New Zealanders living in Australia that life is better there now they can get citizenship is appalling.
Labour shortages on orchards are beginning to impact the quality of New Zealand products in global markets.
Farmers, foresters and orchardists have just a few days left to complete the official agricultural production census, run by Statistics NZ in partnership with MPI.
New data from Statistics NZ shows that Canterbury had the biggest fall in agricultural emissions, down 2.7%, mainly due to a decline in livestock numbers.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.
