25 May 2001 Primary sector prominence

Two major agricultural gatherings at Lincoln University next month put the primary sector under the spotlight. From 25 to 27 June the University hosts the third South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) and from 27 to 29 June the NZ Institute of Agricultural Science and the NZ Society of Horticultural Science meet for their annual convention.

Under the theme The Next Step Forward, the South Island Dairy Event takes the form of keynote addresses and workshop sessions covering the people, production systems and animal performance sides of the industry.

As the name indicates, it is focussed on South Island dairying and it is forward-looking in its orientation with special sessions entitled "Tomorrow's Challenges" and "Stepping Ahead".

Keynote speakers are Ashley Waugh of New Zealand Milk, Australia, who will speak on "The Industry"; Steve Nelson of Anchor Milk, whose topic is "Seasonal Pricing Signals"; and Matt Lucy of the University of Missouri who will speak on "Reproduction in the High Producing Dairy Cow".

The annual conference of the NZ Society for Animal production will be running alongside SIDE with combined workshops on the morning of Wednesday 27 June and SIDE participants will also be able to attend the afternoon sessions of the NZSAP.

On the closing day of SIDE the annual convention of the NZ Institute of Agricultural Science and the NZ Society for Horticultural Science gets under way. The theme this year is The Thin Green Line? Enhancing Our Primary Resources Advantages.

This theme refers to the implications for New Zealand's primary resource sector of maintaining and expanding its share of an increasingly competitive global market.

Critical issues to be covered include the challenge of production versus protection; the increasing difficulties of maintaining bio-security; ways to enhance the quality of the environment; the impact of new technologies; and the development of new opportunities.

In addition to the scientific sessions, the convention programme includes a Primary Resource Forum on Thursday 28 June supported by the Primary Resource Advisory Committee of the Royal Society.

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