8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Callaghan Innovation Agritech is the use of technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture to improve yield, ef ciency, and pro tability. Connecting, promoting agritech in NZ Richard Loader AgriTech New Zealand (AgriTechNZ) was established in 2018 to create a connection between everyone involved in New Zealand’s agritech ecosystem and provide an independent but powerful uni ed voice. Agritech is the use of technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture with the objective of enabling sustainability and improving yield, ef - ciency, and pro tability. It includes digital technologies, smart tools and equipment, biotechnology and any innovation that enables food systems. “Many agritech innovations are addressing the very important questions that Kiwis, and the world, are facing right now, whether that’s around environmental management, labour shortages or climate change,” says AgriTechNZ Chief Executive Brendan O’Connell. “These are all burning issues and that is where agritech is front and centre.” AgriTechNZ’s foundation was about creating a centre of gravity for all of the interests around agritech in and from New Zealand, explains Brendan. “While connecting people to the internal ecosystem, there is also the external voice bringing Kiwi agritech businesses into global markets. We’re connecting with agritech organisations all around the world so we can create introductions and pathways for companies to connect with their peers overseas.” Representing 160 members, as well as the wider industry sector, AgriTechNZ is an independent non-government membership group, funded by its members. “The membership is quite diverse and encompasses agritech trading businesses including wellestablished agritech brands that New Zealand is famous for, along with a growing number of smaller early-stage businesses. It includes investor groups, research organisations such as the universities and Crown Research Institutes, government agencies, and agri-businesses that represent paths to market for agritech or act as integrators of agritech solutions. Membership also includes farmer and grower industry groups such as DairyNZ, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Horticulture New Zealand, and Apple and Pears New Zealand.” The organisation’s role is to connect, promote and advance agritech in and from New Zealand. Creating that sense of community with people understanding that there is something connecting all these businesses together was the rst step in AgriTechNZ’s journey, says Brendan. “Recognising agritech as a sector in and of itself has been an important rst step. Agritech is a key service provider to New Zealand’s primary industry, but it also has a signi cant export footprint with a large export potential. So it’s important in terms of its contribution to New Zealand’s GDP.” AgriTechNZ also plays a key role representing agritech’s contribution when it comes to government policy making, by working with Government partners, informing government policy and making sure the technology voice from an agritech perspective is well understood. “It’s useful that we’re a non-government entity, because we can provide that independent voice for the sector as a whole. Many of our members would be well able to represent themselves in discussions with the government or other parts of the New Zealand ecosystem. But having that representative voice of the sector can be very powerful and it makes it easier for the Government to interact with the sector as a whole.” Biological solutions for agriculture and horticulture. biostart.co.nz Soil biostimulants, forage preservatives, biofertilisers, biopesticides, animal prebiotics and crop protection products. Made in NZ for Ag: 0800 274 524 or Hort: 0800 116 229 BioStart: Agriculture and Horticulture Biostimulants BioStart was founded in 1994 and, like many kiwi businesses, was started by a farmer with an original idea and a spare corner in his shed. That farmer was Dayne Plummer. Dayne’s early understanding of the role of microbes in improving plant and animal growth and productivity lead, over time, to the development of a range of biological products that harnessed the abilities of bene cial microbes. Their rst product was an animal health product for calves, a prebiotic at a time before prebiotics were available in New Zealand. Calf, like many of BioStart’s other products, is based on fermentation extracts and works by promoting bene cial microbes already in the calf’s digestive system. Ruminant, for lifting sheep and cattle health and weights, and LactoPlus, for lactating, cows and goats, followed. Next BioStart developed products that activated the biology in the soil that helped plants thrive (Mycorrcin, Digester, and ThatchBusta). Once again BioStart developed these products well before most understood what biostimulants were. Biostimulants are now one of the fastest growing areas of the agrichemical market. Foliacin, a foliar biostimulant, followed after a discovery that foliar microbes also help plants thrive. Their resulting horticultural biostimulant range is now widely used to provide bene ts such as faster plant establishment, higher sustainable yields, better nutrient uptake, higher quality wine and improved fruit quality. Using the same technology BioStart created their perennially popular forage preservative range, SilageKing, MaizeKing and Hayking, for making high quality forage. BioStart CEO, Dr Jerome Demmer, and science lead, Dr Chris Chilcott, oversee production and trials to ensure the products meet scienti c standards and produce consistent and measurable results. They also develop new products in response to the issues that farmers and growers bring to BioStart’s farm advisors. More recent developments include live microbe products that tackle some of the issues currently faced by New Zealand farmers: reducing nitrogen fertiliser use (Biostart N), grass grub control (BioShield) and plant diseases (TripleX and Terracin). BioStart products are sold in New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Ireland.
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