The next step: intensification of East Coast hill country farming

The New Zealand Kellogg Rural Leaders Programme develops emerging agribusiness leaders to help shape the future of New Zealand agribusiness and rural affairs. Lincoln University has been involved with this leaders programme since 1979 when it was launched with a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, USA.This project sought to identify whether utilising ‘spray and pray’, as a re-grassing tool on hill country, was an option for all East Coast hill country farmers that were looking to intensify their operations. The advantages and disadvantages of such a management practice were identified, along with best practice advice and whether there was any financial gain to be had. Alternatives to ‘spray and pray’ were explored for those not willing to take such a risk. Data was collected by surveying 21 Gisborne and Wairoa hill country farmers with a range of financial performance and management abilities and from a variety of locations within the district. The data collected, highlighted some interesting results. Those farmers that currently practice ‘spray and pray’ were in general well developed, profitable farms with good fertility status and by and large had a higher carrying capacity on average than those that were not cropping/re-grassing