Situation and outlook for New Zealand agriculture and forestry (August 2007)
Foreword
I am particularly pleased to introduce this year’s Situation and Outlook for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry (SONZAF). It represents a major step forward in our ability to present what is happening in New Zealand’s primary sectors and forecast trends over the next five years.
The importance of the agricultural, horticultural, and forestry industries to New Zealand cannot be overstated. The primary industries provide the core of our economy and determine much of our land use.
I want to encourage an informed debate about the future of New Zealand’s primary sector. What will New Zealand look like in the future? How will we compete internationally?
Our success relies on us challenging the status quo and looking at new ideas in technology, productivity, and sustainability. I am committed to leading the development of policy that will ensure our primary industries thrive.
SONZAF contains both big picture thinking and detailed forecasts. It is no good focusing on the numbers if you do not have some understanding of the context. As such, we have decided to reorganise this year’s publication and present the bigger issues before diving into the performance of different industries.
Sustainable development and productivity improvements need to be at the forefront of our thinking. New Zealand has a fantastic biological base and enormous expertise in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. We need to keep pushing the boundaries, developing new ideas and practices, and ensuring we have the ability to adapt.
I am immensely proud of the effort MAF Policy has made in producing SONZAF. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the primary sectors and where they are heading.
Dr Paul Reynolds
Assistant Director-General
MAF Policy
Contact for Enquiries
Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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