AgriTechNZ Chief Executive Brendan O’Connell stated the recent New Zealand Government Wellbeing Budget had provided much-needed support to drive higher-paying jobs and new export revenues in the horticulture sector.
“Technology is both the solution to threats on growing food in Aotearoa, New Zealand and the answer to injecting greater impetus into the New Zealand economy,” said O’Connell.
O’Connell continued that this $29.9 million initiative would accelerate the development and adoption of technologies in horticultural and both position the sector for new levels of sustainable productivity and create a proving ground for the export of new technologies.”
The Horticulture Technology Catalyst initiative was created through the Government’s Agritech Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) to grow the size and impact of agritech businesses in New Zealand and globally.
The initiative aims to ensure companies can collaborate and provide services and support to growers and the sector here in New Zealand and find global opportunities that will fuel the investment required to solve some of the trickiest problems.
“New Zealand’s future will be limited if we focus on producing more food. Further prosperity will only come from commercialising the technology, systems and intellectual property not bound by the same constraints as our food systems. This is the double benefit of exporting our fruit and technology, too.”
By taking a globally focussed approach to the development and proof of horticultural technologies in New Zealand, the level of investment was justified through the level of requirement needed to solve some of the biggest challenges faced by the sector.
As a result, New Zealand could be both an originator and first adopter of significant technologies, but unless focussed on global application, it will be undercooked and uncompetitive.
“We are pleased to see the Government recognises the importance the agritech industry can have on the country’s economic value as we see massive potential across multiple areas, including labour, education and community development.”
New Zealand’s current ecosystem of horticulture technology skills covers growers, technology innovators, researchers, and investors. In addition to the global impact of food brands, for example, Zespri, Rockit, Jazz, Enza and Miro, many technology brands are forging the New Zealand reputation in global horticulture. This includes Bluelab, Robotics Plus, Hectre, WayBeyond, Cropsy and Croptide.
International figures estimate that automated crop harvesting requires approximately USD 100 million in research and development funding per crop type. Harvesting is just one challenge, highlighting the need to raise appropriate capital levels to grow globally relevant technology solutions in New Zealand.
