12 October 2001 Ex-army chief to address agribusiness congress on impact of terrorism for NZ business

Likely implications for New Zealand agribusiness of the recent terrorism in the United States will be covered in an expansion to the programme of the New Zealand Agribusiness and Food Congress, being held in Christchurch over 30-31 October.

Retired Army Chief of General Staff Piers Reid, now Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies at Massey University, will speak on the short and long term effects of current terrorism.

The theme of the Congress is Global Issues - Local Effects and Dr Reid will share the platform with Martin Manning of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) who will speak on the effects of global warming on New Zealand agribusiness.

"Global warming will have a major effect on agribusiness, from both the perspective of what we can produce in New Zealand and what our markets want," says Congress spokesperson Mick Calder.

"In addition, we know that the world will never be the same after the acts of terrorism in the United States.

"Both phenomena must be considered by the entire agribusiness sector from producers, through all those involved along the food and fibre chain to the marketers."

The Congress, held annually, features a strong list of national and international speakers, with subjects such as  aspects of the international marketplace, the likelihood of a major disease outbreak in Australasia and the debate on genetic modification,

From the University of Queensland, Adjunct Professor of Value Chain Management Dr Michael O'Keeffe will discuss major changes in marketing and presentation.

Dr O'Keeffe believes the  era in which food retailers and  suppliers  focused solely on driving out  costs is coming to an end as they take up the more consumer-centred challenge of putting value in rather than  simply  reducing costs.

Dr O'Keeffe will share a session with David Hutchings, Director of E'business integration with Kraft Foods, North America.

The Congress will be held in the Christchurch Convention Centre. The website for programme information is www.agri businessnz.org.nz.

For registration details the contact is Jan Latham, Agribusiness Secretariat, telephone (03) 3253661, fax (03) 3253840, email lathamj@ lincoln.ac.nz.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.