Agriculture in New Zealand
[1] The agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector directly contributed $12.653 billion (or 5.1%) of the national GDP in the 12 months to September 2020,[2] and employed 143,000 people, 5.9% of New Zealand's workforce, as of the 2018 census.
[3] New Zealand is unique in being the only developed country to be totally exposed to the international markets since subsidies, tax concessions and price supports for the agricultural sector were removed in the 1980s.
[6] Following their settlement of New Zealand in the 13th century, the Māori people developed economic systems involving hunting, foraging, and agriculture.
[8] While the tropical Polynesian islands of their ancestors' origin were prime cultivation sites of various important canoe plants like breadfruit and coconut, the colder climates of Aotearoa hindered this continuation drastically reducing their inventory to 6, three of them being root crops (kūmara, uwhi and taro) and were only optimally their most productive in the North Island.
[14] In 1984 the Labour government ended all farm subsidies under Rogernomics,[15] and by 1990 the agricultural industry became the most deregulated sector in New Zealand.
[16] To stay competitive in the heavily subsidised European and US markets New Zealand farmers had to increase the efficiency of their operations.
Dairy cattle primarily feed on grass, supplemented by silage, hay and other crops during winter and other times of slow pasture growth.
[27][24] Some farms employ winter milking, either wholly or partly, with calving in late summer and early autumn (February and March).
[45] The two largest apple cultivars are Royal Gala and Braeburn, followed by Fuji, Scifresh (Jazz), Cripps Pink, Scired (Pacific Queen), and Scilate (Envy).
[47][41] Stone fruit, including peaches and nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries, is primarily grown in Central Otago and Hawke's Bay.
[41] Auckland (namely Pukekohe), Manawatū-Whanganui (namely Ohakune and the Horowhenua district), and Canterbury are the major growing regions for potatoes, onions, brassicas (e.g. cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower), leafy vegetables (e.g. lettuce, silverbeet and spinach), and carrots and parsnips.
[49][50] Due to their short shelf-life, most fresh vegetables are grown for domestic consumption and processing, with those exported mainly supplying nearby Pacific Island nations.
The value of all forestry exports (logs, chips, sawn timber, panels and paper products) for the year ended 31 March 2006 was $NZ 3.62 billion.
Australia accounts for just over 25% of export value, mostly paper products, followed by Japan, South Korea, China and the United States.
In 2006, the aquaculture industry in New Zealand developed a strategy aimed at achieving a sustainable annual billion NZ dollar business by 2025.
Māori burned forest to flush out game and to encourage the growth of bracken fern, which was used as a food source, and practised agriculture using plants they brought from tropical Polynesia.
[60] New Zealand's rivers and lakes are becoming increasingly nutrient enriched and degraded by nitrogen, animal faecal matter, and eroded sediment.
Fish and Game New Zealand launched a "dirty dairying" campaign to highlight the effect of intensive agriculture on waterways.
Organic farming practices began on a commercial scale in the 1980s and is now an increasing segment of the market with some of the larger companies such as Wattie's becoming involved.
Tight border controls to improve biosecurity have been put into place to ensure any new and unwanted pests and diseases do not enter the country.
Terminally ill TB possums will show increasingly erratic behaviour, such as venturing out during the daytime to get enough food to eat, and seeking out buildings in which to keep warm.
Other serious pasture and crop land plant pests are nodding thistle (Carduus nutans), Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense), ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), broom (Cytisus scoparius), giant buttercup (Ranunculus acris), fat-hen (Chenopodium album), willow weed (Polygonum persicaria), and hawkweed (Hieracium species).
With a high level of international trade and large numbers of inbound tourists biosecurity is of great importance since any new pest or diseases brought into the country could potentially have a huge effect on the economy of New Zealand.
Many areas of the high country of the South Island were set up as large sheep and cattle stations in the late 19th century.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the government agency responsible for the agricultural sector, has both policy and operational arms.
One is that, due to fast-rising consumer demand in India and China, the world is entering a golden age for commodities, and New Zealand is well placed to take advantage of this.
The other view is that New Zealand will only gain limited rewards from this boom because of increasing production competition from developing countries.
[77] Joint research by Our Land and Water and Deep South identified vulnerabilities for the main farming systems in New Zealand under projected climate scenarios.
Fred Dagg, a comedy character created by John Clarke, was a stereotypical farmer wearing a black singlet, shorts and gumboots.
A fixture in many rural towns, the annual Agricultural and Pastoral (A&P) show[80] organises competitions for the best livestock and farm produce.
