Agri-food
- Agriculture, the land, environment and plant science
- AgriCommerce
- Animal science
- Food technology
- Earth science
- Horticulture
- Veterinary science
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History of agriculture in NZ
From the 1850s until the Second World War, New Zealanders lived ‘off the sheep’s back’.
Um, not literally of course, but wool and sheep meat were exported mostly to the United Kingdom, earning most of the country’s income. Over a quarter of the workforce were in the farming industry.
Refrigeration, which began in the 1880s, opened up a new economy based on family farms. Forests were felled. Improved livestock were bred, and freezing works and dairy factories efficiently turned out meat and dairy products which were shipped to Britain. ‘Processed grass’ (things that are produced by grass-eating animals, like wool) accounted for about 90% of exports until the 1960s. The price of wool then crashed and meat exports came under pressure partly from export countries restricting access to their markets.
By the 2000s only 1 in 10 workers were on the farm. However agriculture still brought in about half the money from overseas markets. Dairy products such as milk powder and cheese, fruits like apples or kiwifruit, and timber or wood pulp were the growth industries.
In the 1970s New Zealand diversified its exports including horticulture, energy, forestry, fish and tourism. The 80s and 90s saw the growth of the service and finance sectors, and agriculture was seen as a ‘sunset’ industry.
But the growth of agribusiness – with its focus on marketing high value products, sustainability and innovation – and an international demand for food has put the industry very firmly back on the country’s agenda. Agrifrood is now New Zealand’s largest sector, its biggest export earner and the foundation of the economy.
History of agriculture in NZ
From the 1850s until the Second World War, New Zealanders lived ‘off the sheep’s back’.
Um, not literally of course, but wool and sheep meat were exported mostly to the United Kingdom, earning most of the country’s income. Over a quarter of the workforce were in the farming industry.
Refrigeration, which began in the 1880s, opened up a new economy based on family farms. Forests were felled. Improved livestock were bred, and freezing works and dairy factories efficiently turned out meat and dairy products which were shipped to Britain. ‘Processed grass’ (things that are produced by grass-eating animals, like wool) accounted for about 90% of exports until the 1960s. The price of wool then crashed and meat exports came under pressure partly from export countries restricting access to their markets.
By the 2000s only 1 in 10 workers were on the farm. However agriculture still brought in about half the money from overseas markets. Dairy products such as milk powder and cheese, fruits like apples or kiwifruit, and timber or wood pulp were the growth industries.
In the 1970s New Zealand diversified its exports including horticulture, energy, forestry, fish and tourism. The 80s and 90s saw the growth of the service and finance sectors, and agriculture was seen as a ‘sunset’ industry.
But the growth of agribusiness - with its focus on marketing high value products, sustainability and innovation – and an international demand for food has put the industry very firmly back on the country’s agenda. Agrifrood is now New Zealand’s largest sector, its biggest export earner and the foundation of the economy.