6 August 2009 Steady investment in agricultural sector, R&D the key

Keeping a steady hand on the tiller is necessary for sheep and beef farmers to continue getting value out of their Research & Development investment, Lincoln Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field says.

Professor Field says R&D is about knowledge building on knowledge and requires a steady hand to keep the programme on course.

“Research very rarely delivers a leap forward in thinking. More often it’s a steady progression as knowledge builds on knowledge to provide exceptional outcomes over time. The strength of New Zealand’s pastoral sector can be traced back to consistent investment in R&D and applying it on the farm. The danger lies in failing to recognise this and risking it all for a new strategy.

“Lincoln University has been a key contributor to research as part of the Meat & Wool New Zealand Central Progeny Test. The CPT has provided a very visual and easily understood demonstration of the value of superior genetics. This has made a very valuable contribution to the New Zealand sheep industry.

“Meat & Wool New Zealand has always taken the long-term view and as such has also been careful with its investments to prevent changes mid-stride. Its proposal shows very clear objectives and the right expectation that we should be able to deliver benefits over the short, medium and long-term to farmers.

“Importantly however, the strong link within M&WNZ allows science to support other important areas of activity for the sector such as market access and market development. Good science helps drive good policy and develop new products for discerning consumers globally.

“Meat & Wool New Zealand has wisely looked at how it can use other funding sources such as the Government’s Primary Growth Partnership fund and it has set some clear objectives and goals it wants to achieve. That helps scientists get better results and bring those results to market more quickly,” Professor Field says.

“As an R&D partner with M&WNZ, we also value consistency to ensure we have the scientific capacity to provide world-leading solutions. It is essential that we retain our best and brightest because New Zealand is still the world leader in agricultural science. Farmers have helped grow this through their investment and I hope this will continue.”  

Lincoln University also operates one of eight bureaus for the operation of Meat & Wool New Zealand’s Sheep Improvement Ltd (SIL), national sheep database and genetic evaluation system. Lincoln University operates this under the name of FlockLinc and provides data management and technical advice for ram breeders using the SIL system.