14 June 2010 Francisco Mayorga Castaneda to visit Lincoln University campus

Mexico’s Secretary (Minister) of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, the Hon. Francisco Mayorga Castaneda, and a delegation of 17 Mexican officials and agricultural industry representatives visit Lincoln University on 15 June from 1.15pm.

The Minister and party arrive in New Zealand on Tuesday 15 June to start a five-day official visit to New Zealand. It is the Minister’s first to this country and Lincoln University is the group’s first port of call. It is the only university they will visit.

Senor Castaneda has held his Cabinet post since September 2009 and was also Agriculture Minister in 2005-2006 under an earlier administration. The delegation includes the Director-in-Chief of Mexico’s National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, the Director-General of the National Institute for Research on Forestry and Farming, and the Under-Secretary for Agribusiness.

The delegation’s interests include innovation, research and added-value agriculture and learning about New Zealand’s research and development framework - Centres of Research Excellence and Crown Research Institutes -   and the Government’s role in these.

At Lincoln University the visitors will hear about innovative research in animal breeding and genetics from Associate Professor Jonathan Hickford; about the innovative development of the eco-n technology for inhibiting nitrification in grazed pastures, from Professor Keith Cameron; and about viticulture and wine science work, from Senior Lecturer Sue Blackmore. They will visit the winery and vineyard with Ms Blackmore and Dr Glen Creasy. They will also visit the University’s commercial demonstration dairy farm and hear about the South Island Dairying Development Centre.   

The party’s interest is in Lincoln University as New Zealand’s specialist land-based university and this visit follows a line of high level ministerial visits and diplomatic visits to the campus in recent months such as those by China’s Vice-Premier,  the US Ambassador to New Zealand, the Governor-General of New Zealand, and Britain’s new Minister of Agriculture (when in Opposition).

“Visits such as these confirm Lincoln University’s place as a reference point for agriculture and land-based development,” says Marketing, Communications and Recruitment Director Charlotte Mayne.

After Lincoln University the party travels to the Synlait plant on Wednesday and the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek on Friday.