K31 Reports

Top farmers leverage their consultants to achieve more than they would on their own. They do this in five main ways;  They have a plan. They are prepared for their time with the advisor. They have identified the skill s or tools they require. They seek advice from reputable sources. They seek options, not answers. … Read more

The purpose of this study is to explore if there is a “disconnect” between Fonterra farmers and their Co-operative and in particular the Fonterra Shareholders’ Council. As a body one of its primary roles is to represent farmer share holder views – which raises the question of how effective it can be if there is … Read more

With export sales in 2014 of over $1.6 billion, the New Zealand kiwifruit industry is one of the great horticultural success stories. However, with a target of $3 billion in export sales by 2025, the industry can’t afford to rest on its laurels. Much of the increase in revenue will be due to increase d … Read more

What does kaitiakitanga look like in Tairawhiti? What does it mean for uri of Ngati Porou? What does it mean for uri of Te Whanau a Apanui?  How do whanau connect to their whenua? How might we improve whanau connectivity to each other and our whenua so our whenua and our whanau are ora?! Ngarangi … Read more

The New Zealand dairy industry has a broad range of career opportunities for people who are focused and disciplined to work their way through the stages of success. This report examines the pathways and steps to wealth creation within the dairy industry.  Research shows that career progression is not as clear cut in today’s environment … Read more

Producing beef off grass during spring and autumn is the most common practice for King Island beef farmers. Supplying Meat Standards Australia compliant beef during winter is a common, financially rewarding and challenging system given the environment of King Island at this time of the year. This case study looks into the supplying of compliant … Read more

The primary industry is known as the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, with large amounts of exciting and broad career opportunities. Yet as the population grows many graduates prefer to head to urban based careers in large cities, than return to heartland New Zealand and take up careers in the primary sector.  The qualitative study … Read more

The issue of low taste being a significant risk to Gold3 was highlighted to growers very early in the Gold3 journey. Zespri was transparent with Gold3 growers about the risk and the fact that the answers lay with growers in ensuring they produced high taste fruit acceptable to the markets. Zespri research efforts aimed at … Read more

Firstly, when I talk about indigenous biodiversity, I am referring to biodiversity that is native to NZ, much of which is found nowhere else in the world.  Despite some views to the contrary, biodiversity is very much a part of all of our lives. It is in our back yards, our farms and our native … Read more

The New Zealand (NZ) beef industry traces its origins back to the first European arrivals to NZ. While cattle were initially used as draught oxen to provide food and for the purpose of improving pastures, they are now a major source of export in come for NZ farmers. Today NZ exports chilled and frozen table … Read more

New Zealand has a long history around agriculture. Over time farms have grown in size from single owner/operators to more commercial-based, corporate style farms. The average dairy farm size in New Zealand has grown to an average of 413 cows in the 2013/14 season (Walsh, 2014). Due to this growth farm owners have had to … Read more

The subject of my Kellogg Industry Applied Project is a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages for farmers investing in the production of sheep milk. I have determined there is value in the compilation of a discussion document which identifies the key variables influencing successful commercial sheep milking business. These are current and potential dairy … Read more

Health and Safety in New Zealand’s Agriculture sect or is a hot topic both in the media and in farmer’s discussions. Due to high incidences of injury and deaths in agriculture, farmers are coming under increasing pressure to conform to current legislative standards; however there are multiple issues surrounding both the current and proposed legislation … Read more

Family businesses play an important role in the New Zealand business landscape and are especially important in sheep and beef sector. The overriding aspect that sets them apart from other business forms is the level of complexity with the combination of family and business. The quality, speed and execution of decision making are the hallmarks … Read more

Worldwide, there is a scarcity of women in leadership (Sandberg, 2010). In many organizations, even at the lowest level women struggle to make up 50% of the workforce. This number decreases steadily as you get successively higher. Worldwide, only 3–4% of women reach CEO level (Herminia Ibarra, 2013). Despite key advancements in the workforce for … Read more

This paper and the associated research sought to answer the following research question: What is the impact of machine to machine (M2M) communication on the dairy industry in New Zealand, and what is the likely impact in the future? Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in the information flow across the dairy … Read more

New Zealand is well known for being heavily involved in the primary sector and exports of horticultural crops are a significant part of the New Zealand economy. In particular the kiwifruit industry is of significant export value, contributing around $930 million towards a total horticultural export value of $3,901 million in 2014 (Statistics New Zealand, … Read more

There is global concern about food safety and the effect antibiotic use in animal production has on our ability to treat human infections in high profile “superbugs” such as MRSA. Antibiotic use in animals has come under significant scrutiny, with a call to reduce their use. Global consumer brands have increased the profile of this … Read more

Currently the red meat sector does not have a clearly defined and documented pathway for young people to build a business to increase equity to pursue the goal of land ownership. Succession in the industry is a challenge as the average age of land owners is high beyond 55+. The purpose of this research is … Read more

This report looks at co-operatives as a whole. To gain experienced insight into the rural sector co-operatives a number of high level management and directors involved with co-ops have been interviewed. Essentially looking to define the mechanisms operating within co-operatives to ensure their long term success in the rural community. The Co-operatives section covers what … Read more

Engagement. Livestock Improvement Corporation and Livestock Improvement Corporation Shareholders Council. What is the interaction and what can be done to improve this? What is engagement? How does it manifest itself? What effect does it have on people and how do they react to it? What bearing does this have on the actions and interactions of … Read more