Current MSc and PhD Students in Horticulture
(and their Supervisors)
There is an Australian initiative underway to identify postgraduate students engaged in horticultural research.
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Farm advisory services date back to the 1920s –
but technology transfer now needs a new approach
The New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science – the horticultural component came later of our organisation - stems from suggestions by Margot Cowen. . .
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The parties and their policies
The political parties had not formulated their policies, at the time of the NZIAHS Political Forum at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington. But the four agriculture spokesmen David Carter (National), Damien O’Connor (Labour), Kevin Hague (Green Party) and Don Nicholson (ACT) gave broad policy positions. Here’s an edited version of what they said.
Damien O’Connor (Labour Party)
I am more than happy to refer back to Labour’s record in agriculture through many years starting in the 1930s, showing we have been a party prepared to make the hard calls in agriculture. These range from the guaranteed price in the 1930s through to the formation of the Dairy Board, removal of subsidies and industry deregulation. We made changes to monetary policy when we gained office in 1999 and introduced the Sustainable Farming Fund to move New Zealand to a sustainable economy. Everyone pooh hooed that – now it is main stream thinking.
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Kevin Hague (Green Party)
While farming is clearly a very important part of our economy, so also does our economy depend on the environment. Our clean, green image has been shown in countless studies to be our biggest economic advantage but it is under threat and one of our priorities at this election is to make that image real, because if we do not, it will be to the cost of our entire economy.
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Don Nicholson (ACT Party)
My ambition is taking back control of our lives and promoting the freedom to farm, allowing each individual to choose to farm responsibly with the environment. One thing I am concerned about, listening to the discussion so far, is that individuality is being stolen from the very people who value individuality, our farmers.
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David Carter (National Party)
I want to thank Damien for acknowledging that in the mid-1980s Labour removed subsidies from agriculture. I was farming at the time. I certainly didn’t appreciate it then, but I appreciate it now.
I am a little different from the other speakers in that our policy is well and truly developed. It is in the can and our campaign manager will be deciding when to release it. It will be pretty much more of the same because we have got a fair amount of traction from what we have done over the past three years but we have a long way to go to see that completed.
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