AgResearch

AgResearch Ltd (formerly known as New Zealand Pastoral Agriculture Research Institute Limited) is New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute with about 800 staff and revenue of NZ$155 million in the year to June 2009.^[1]

Main areas of research

AgResearch exists to serve the agriculture and biotechnology sectors of New Zealand industry.

History

AgResearch was created along with New Zealand's other Crown Research Institutes in 1992. In AgResearch's case, this was largely by merging the pastoral agriculture-related portions of MAFTech (the research arm of the then Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) which had predominantly carried out animal research, with the agriculture-related portions of DSIR, which had predominantly carried out research on forage plants.

AgResearch has grown over time by acquiring research organisations "down" the value stream from its initial on-farm emphasis, such as the former Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand (MIRINZ) in 1999 and the former Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ, which had been rebranded as Canesis) in 2007.

In March 2009 AgResearch announced that it planned to merge with Lincoln University,^[2] but that was subsequently changed to an intention to form a joint venture.^[3]

Organisation

AgResearch's science capability is divided into six groups: Animal Productivity, Forage Improvement, Food & Bio-based Products, Animal Nutrition & Health, Innovative Farm Systems and Land & Environment. Science staff operate in five portfolio groups representing major sectors: Dairy On-farm, Dairy Pasture-to-plate, Meat & Fibre On-farm, Meat & Fibre Paddock-to-Consumer and Agricultural Policy & Maori Agribusiness.

Locations

AgResearch has research campuses at locations around New Zealand, including:

• Ruakura, near Hamilton
• Grasslands and the Hopkirk Research Institute, near Palmerston North
• Lincoln, near Christchurch
• Invermay, near Dunedin

See also

• AgResearch Invermay
• Ruakura

References

1. ^ AgResearch Annual Report 2009, pp.15-16 Accessed 2010-08-29.
2. ^ "AgResearch, Lincoln University merger planned". The New Zealand Herald. 10 March 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10560936. 
3. ^ "AgResearch and Lincoln University announce intent to develop a joint venture". AgResearch. 11 August 2009. http://www.agresearch.co.nz/anm2Net/templates/AgRnews.aspx?articleid=764&zoneid=3. 

External links

• AgResearch
• Centre for Reproduction and Genomics
• Hopkirk Research Institute
• New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre