2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship. Apply by 17 August 2025. Read More...

Apply for 2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship by 17 August 2025. More details...

diversification

Emma Harvey

Emma Harvey

Exploring agritourism as a way for farmers to boost resilience amid inflation, environmental pressure and price volatility through income diversification.

Jesse Brennan

This report examines solar farming as a diversification strategy for drystock farming, beyond just self-sufficiency. It informs farmers and industry about the challenges and opportunities of solar for drystock farm diversification.

Anna Gower-James

This report proposes recommendations for New Zealand dairy exporters to explore further growth between New Zealand and Nigeria.
Lucy Murray Kellogg 2022

Lucy Murray

The aim of this report is to understand if sheep and beef farmers in NZ can use partial land use diversification to improve environmental sustainability. And at the same time create more resilient farm systems to remain profitable for the future.

Jenna Smith

Pressures on what is deemed the appropriate use of land to create food and fibre in New Zealand are countless and seemingly coming from multiple directions. Such pressures can have the ability to inspire change, be it willing or not. Reactive land use diversification is not new. Land holders have changed their agricultural systems to increase financial gains or access stronger markets as the result of many external influences. Often, the notion of land use change has been referenced as a complete transition of the entire land holding. However partial diversification is already prevalent amongst New Zealand agricultural enterprises, and many rely upon multiple income sources for financial viability.

Natalie Bowie

Many agribusiness leaders see New Zealand as going through a transformational phase in agriculture. There is a lot of rhetoric about how best to solve the commodity cycle conundrum we find ourselves in. This ‘cycle conundrum’ is not new to New Zealand as we have been commodity price takers for decades and there are plenty … Read more

McQuade, Brendan

This research assignment aims to look at the need for diversification in horticultural crops within regions. This has become evident through the unwanted introduction of Psa to New Zealand. Regions such as the Bay of Plenty are largely exposed to the kiwifruit industry which is concerning when currently the outlook on the industry is still … Read more

Bailey, Steve

Over the years farmers within the Bay of Plenty had little problems or restrictions in accessing water for running their business. However times have changed and the diversification of our business into both dairy and horticulture has increased our requirements for water. The opportunity to diversify our dairy farm to include horticulture has been mirrored … Read more

Davey, Stuart

What is it that requires fish to be farmed? Is it the need for food? Is it the need to protect the wild fish stocks? Or is it because it makes economic sense? This report gives an insight into how where and why fish are farmed. Most of the earth is being farmed to potential … Read more

John Wright

New Zealand primary producers have been facing a gradual decline in real commodity prices for decades, costs of production are increasing and more recently land values have in many places exceeded the level where an acceptable return on capital is possible. I hypothesised that our commodity producers could overcome these problems, on an industry wide … Read more

Wright, John

Concern has been expressed within primary industries that the Commodity Levies Act 1990 does not cater for long term research due to the restrictions on ‘commercial activities’ in particular, and the six year term of the levy orders. I describe long term research as breeding, market development, processing and value adding research activities showing a … Read more

Paterson Mike, D

The project was to establish whether cherries are a viable diversification on a sheep, beef and deer farm in the Teviot valley, Roxburgh, Central Otago. This report analyses the cost structures and returns from traditional cherry growing methods compared with methods for the newer dwarf or “Bonsai” types. The report was also produced to assist … Read more

Merfield, CN

This report is aimed at farmers, processors and the sections of government involved in the reintroduction of industrial hemp. It aims to provide, assuming no prior knowledge, background information on hemp and the issues surrounding it. It analyses the current political and legal situation; and estimates the potential economic, social and environmental costs and benefits … Read more

Goodwin, Sandra

The district lies approximately 60 kms southeast of Hamilton, and encompasses three towns. Tirau, in the north (closest to Hamilton), Putaruru about 12 kms south of Tirau, and Tokoroa another 20 km south. Traffic volumes (see Table Traffic Volumes in South Waikato District) for the main state highways which traverse the district are very heavy. … Read more

von Dadelszen, Andrew

The “home and farm-stay” industry has an important part to play in New Zealand tourism. More and more visitors are seeking an active holiday experience, rather than a passive look at scenery through tour bus windows. The experience of staying in a New Zealand home is for many a highlight of their stay. However, it … Read more

Barron, I. R.

The traditional forms of agriculture in New Zealand have been providing an ever diminishing return for its primary participants – the meat, wool and dairy farmer. Diversification has been the popular call to farmers. There are two very basic flaws in this “idea” which fundamentally preclude our farmers from major worthwhile changes in direction: (a) … Read more