Two days ago, I posted an article to this blog entitled ‘Envisioning an APAC AgriFood Hub’.
Today, I’m delighted that one of the key building blocks to help make that happen has been signed off by both AgriTechNZ and AusAgritech. The MOU signed by both organisations provides the collaborative platform necessary for the trans-Tasman relationship to rapidly accelerate.
These are exciting times to be engaged in agritech ‘down-under’!
Media Release
Thursday 25th February 2021
New Zealand and Australian MOU strengthens trans-Tasman Agritech Sector
Agritech New Zealand (AgriTechNZ) and The Australian Agritech Association (AusAgritech) are member organisations promoting technology development and adoption that seeks to revolutionise the value of the agricultural and food sectors. Both organisations share the same goals to promote and advocate for the opportunities and challenges across the AgriTech sector.
Today AusAgritech and AgriTechNZ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ignite support for the Agritech industry within Australia and New Zealand. The MOU has been designed to highlight the regional opportunities of a collaborative AgriTech hub in the trans-Tasman region.
The chairman of AusAgritech, Andrew Coppin, said “This is a wonderful development for Agritech in this region. The opportunities to work with and collaborate with our friends in New Zealand to deliver better outcomes for Farmers, more regional jobs and significant export opportunities for both countries is compelling. This MOU is a further extension and validation of the foundations laid by the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council throughout 2020.”
NZ Agritech Chair, Kenneth Irons, said “Agritech New Zealand is delighted to be formalising its relationship with its sister organisation across the Tasman. Both organisations share a common goal of accelerating the development of agricultural technologies that enable our farmers and growers to increase productivity and profitability, more sustainably.
He went on to say “By co-signing this Memorandum of Understanding, we can not only more successfully create better value for our two countries’ primary sectors, we can also more successfully promote Australasia to its rightful position as one of the truly great AgriTech regions of the world.”
The Australian Agritech Association will promote this activity to relevant Australian government agencies, major Australian agribusiness partners and its rapidly growing cohort of AgriTech members. Agritech New Zealand will seek to extend the opportunity of preparing a more formal partnership between the Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center and the nascent AgriTech ecosystem being developed in New Zealand.