Feeding the world’s growing population

New Zealand’s reputation as a quality food producer is growing.

Optimising food production

Over the next 50 years farmers around the world will need to produce more food than has been grown over the past 10,000 years.

Best use from a limited resource

Fertiliser helps farmers produce food efficiently by replenishing the soil. But fertiliser needs to be used responsibly.

Responsible and sustainable nutrient management

The Fertiliser Association invests in research and tools to ensure farm profitability while minimising nutrient losses to the environment.

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand promotes and encourages responsible and scientifically-based nutrient management.

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Forestry on farms – implications for farm sustainability and regional impact

Planting forest to sequester carbon, either for carbon farming or directly offsetting farm emissions, is likely to increase, a new study from AgFirst, Groundtruth and Market Economics shows.

There are strong financial drivers for the increase.  Traditional sheep and beef hill country returns 2-5% on capital invested, whereas carbon farming (when priced at $65/t) will give returns of three to five times this amount.

The research report, Forestry on Farms: Implications for Farm Sustainability and Regional Impact, highlights wide concern that the social and economic impact of these changes could be significant.

At an on-farm level the integration of forestry could strengthen the farm business, as well as providing carbon credits to offset GHG emissions from the farm. At a wider regional or national level impacts would include a reduction in pastoral production, processing capacity or exports.  This would be offset by increased income generated by carbon credits, and eventual timber sales.

This analysis has explored the likely macro-economic impacts by considering three scenarios:

  • Status quo
  • On-farm integrated forestry planting
  • Blanket forestry planting

The study was commissioned by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand with the aim of:

  • Understanding the impact at the on-farm level of planting areas into forest, with respect to overall business profitability, and changes in production. This includes the value of carbon and the proposed farm-level levy.
  • The intent was to consider how changes in profitability relate to long-term farm resilience and sustainable farm level income.
  • Understanding the wider macro-economic impacts of such land use changes with respect to changes in income, employment, and value add e.g., by farm/forestry type, servicing/processing industry.
  • Accounting for land use changes within the regions, such as areas transitioning of steeper sheep and beef hill country land into production forestry and natives.
  • Understanding the impact of blanket planting (i.e., whole farms) into forestry for carbon/timber.

Representative case study examples, assessed 10%, 30% or 100% of the farm area being planted into three forestry types. The impacts were assessed at both farm and regional levels for Northland, Hawke’s Bay, and the rest of the North Island.

Download a summary of the report here or the full report here.

 

 

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and Dairy NZ funded development of the Nutrient Management Adviser Certification Programme (NMACP). This industry-wide certification aims to ensure that advisers have the learning, experience and capability to give sound nutrient advice.

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Fertiliser Association launches revised Code of Practice

15 March 2023

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand has published a revised and updated Code of Practice for fertiliser nutrient management, replacing the previous version published in 2013.

The Code was launched at an event in Wellington on 13 March 2023, attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Damien O’Connor.

Minister O’Connor welcomed the publication of the Code, saying it was important good guidance is available for all farm inputs for farmers and the wider sector.

He described farming – producing food for communities and the world – as the most noble of professions. Farmers were dealing with challenges every day and providing them with tools and knowledge was important, he said.

The Code is a key resource tool for the management of nutrients on arable and pastoral farms, horticulture and viticulture blocks, and market gardens.

Association Chief Executive Vera Power says the revised Code provides clear principle-based guidance on supplying nutrients for growing healthy food and fibre.

“Following the Code provides users, regulatory authorities and markets confidence that the nutrients used in Aotearoa New Zealand primary production are managed in a way that minimises adverse environmental impacts,” says Dr Power.

“We believe all New Zealand farmers and growers want to meet societal and their own high expectations for growing healthy food while minimising environmental impacts. Supporting all our aspirations remains at the heart of the guidance provided by this Code.”

The revised Code has had extensive input from  agricultural and scientific experts, regulators and industry groups. It can be downloaded from the Association website at www.fertiliser.org.nz

Primary industries digital adoption report released

7 September 2022

The 2022 AgriTechNZ Baseline of Digital Adoption in Primary Industries report was released in August.

Created as part of a study by AgriTechNZ and insights partner Research First, the report was co-designed with partners The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand, Zespri, The Foundation of Arable Research and DairyNZ. It was also supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries as part of the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures initiative (SFFF).

The 60-page report looks at digital adoption, including key drivers and barriers across the dairy, horticulture, arable and beef/sheep sectors.

You can download the report here.

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