Launch of Arable Food Industry Council research strategy

Ladies and Gentlemen:It is my pleasure to join you today.

One of the hallmarks of this Government has been a drive for innovation, for investment in research and development, to ensure that New Zealand and our industries continue to be world-leaders in those areas where we have expertise and competitive advantage ¡V for example, especially in primary production.

As part of that, Prime Minister Helen Clark launched the Growth and Innovation strategy, focussing on three sectors which had the potential to affect all aspects of our lives ¡V what the policy wonks call ¡§horizontal technologies¡¨.

These were: information and communication technology, arts and creative industries, and biotechnology.

The Growth through Innovation framework documents a broad consensus that has emerged during our term in Government as to what needs to be done to develop New Zealand¡¦s innovative potential.

To do that, the Government is committing to implementing policies with more emphasis on:
„hEnhancing our innovation framework;
„hDeveloping our skills and talents;
„hIncreasing our global connectedness; and
„hFocusing interventions in those areas that can have maximum impact.

The Government chose to target its innovation initiatives initially in biotechnology, ICT and the creative industries. These are all areas which, if they attain their growth potential, can have a significant influence on the broad scope of the New Zealand economy.

Obviously, these three sectors are not the only sectors we want to see innovation and growth in. For our country, and our economy, to achieve the way we want it to, innovation must happen across the board.

Ladies and Gentlemen: ICT, biotechnology, and the creative industries are not about to displace dairy, meat, and tourism as the main agents of our economy. But they are three sectors of enabling technologies that are going to drive change in those sectors and many others to help New Zealand lift its performance.

The role of rural people and agribusiness in this is critical.

Agriculture¡¦s rate of productivity increase has exceeded that of most manufacturing and servicing sectors in recent years, and the primary production sector is well positioned to capitalise on the increasing emphasis on biotechnology.

Biotechnology could have huge benefits for agriculture and horticulture ¡K sectors which we are world leaders in and in which we wish to maintain our leading edge. Biotechnology will be a key driver of accelerating productivity growth in agriculture, and will also give rise to new businesses, industries, and technologies that spin off from our sector.

The Government has worked hard during the past parliamentary term to investigate the best ways to build partnerships and capacity, and has invested in regional development to make sure that all citizens have access to both training so that they can develop new skills and to new technology so they can adapt that to lift their productivity and living standards.

We have programmes like the modern apprenticeships scheme, young people developing skills and knowledge, in a wide range of areas. This scheme is being boosted again.

We have programmes like the Heartland Services Centres, bringing back government agencies to areas that once had them and lost them and in some cases to areas which never had them at all.

And we have programmes like Project Probe, where broadband internet access being rolled out throughout the country, so that rural citizens can get the same sort of access to the Internet as their urban cousins.

Innovation in rural communities is also being promoted through the Sustainable Farming Fund, a Labour Government-initiated scheme.

The fund allocates grants to community-supported projects that improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of rural communities. We¡¦ve seen some exciting results and there are many more to come. I know the arable industry has been highly successful in obtaining funding for projects from this fund.

This gathering here today also has a role to play in lifting our economic performance.

I congratulate the Arable Food Industry grouping on this research strategy. Adding value to our products, adopting new technology and new ways of doing things, and new intellectual property is the way for a small country such as ours to get ahead.

We have a number of advantages here in New Zealand, but we cannot ever rest on our laurels and be complacent. We have to constantly strive to do better.

So, it¡¦s extremely encouraging to see your sector working together on a way forward.

That investment, and future investment in research and development, will pay off. After all, if you are not prepared to put your own money into this, why should the Government put taxpayers¡¦ money your way?

Ladies and Gentlemen: congratulations on your work this far. I look forward to being informed on future developments as your constituent industries develop their future.

Thank you.