Wednesday, 16 July 2025 11:05

Arable advocacy?

Written by The Hound

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OPINION: Spare a thought for the arable farmer, squeezed on one side by soft global prices and on the other by limits on further yield increases.

Profitability issues facing arable farmers are the same across the world, says NZ Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Hamish Marr, an arable farmer himself.

The arable industry is facing "the perfect storm", the main issue being gross margin.

"There is simply not enough money being generated."

Yield has the biggest positive influence on cost of production and this needs to increase to produce more on less land. Hence some growers are considering dairy, hort or sheep as alternatives.

He also reckons the sector needs better advocacy in Wellington: "Onions NZ have a $200 million export market and have several people in Wellington, and they brief me before trade delegations. No one rings me from arable."

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