New Zealand's Ag Production Systems

New Zealand's Ag Production Systems

Last month 26 Colorado State University students and their faculty mentor returned from their study abroad at New Zealand’s Lincoln University near the South Island city of Christchurch. Dr. Kellie Enns participated as the faculty mentor. An associate professor in agricultural education in the department Ag and Resource Economics Dr. Enns shares more about New Zealand’s livestock sector.
Enns: “A lot of pasture-based dairy systems. A lot of sheep — the quintessential New Zealand and then a lot of red deer operations too. There was a combination factor of a lot of different production systems intertwined in one management.”
Dr. Enns continues with one of the differences between U.S. ag and Kiwi ag.
Enns: “The input into the agricultural system is so different. We are a very input rich environment in the United States. Their margin is based on less input and they are able to because their grass is so phenomenal. They are able to maximize production with less inputs. That was a real important thing. In general just watching how they manage their systems and how they managed systems together I think is a really important concept. And then to manage all those systems so they all thrived was an exciting concept.”

 

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