NZ Technology Ticks Minister’s Boxes

NZ Technology Ticks Minister’s Boxes

Baker No-Tillage ticks every one of Minister, Steven Joyce’s, boxes.

The Minister for Science and Innovation and Minister for Economic Development opened Baker No-Tillage’s new Feilding offices earlier this month and inspected its revolutionary new seed drill.

In his speech welcoming Steven Joyce to Feilding, CEO and founder, John Baker, said his export business met every criteria of the Minister’s portfolio. John Baker briefed Steven Joyce before the opening and put a case to him to encourage trading banks to recognise intellectual property (IP) as security when making commercial loans to start-up exporters.

He argued that often all start-up businesses could offer was their priceless IP but trading banks regarded it as an intangible asset of limited value when it comes to lending. John Baker is exploring ways and means of encouraging them to recognize IP that is valued in the country of its intended market.

In acknowledging Baker No-Tillage technology, the Minister emphasised the importance of the primary sector to the New Zealand economy.

“What we have to offer to the world is our technology and our brains,” he said. “Agro-technology is New Zealand’s future.”

John Baker commented that Steven Joyce’s willingness to open the Feilding premises reflected his commitment to encouraging innovative business in New Zealand and further developing this country’s export trade.

“It was important to show the minister why the United Nations FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) considers our no-tillage drill as the best in the world,” he said.

Resulting from 30 years of research at Massey University, Dr Baker decided there had to be a better way to sow seeds. He had researched and developed Cross Slot no-tillage drills which penetrate through crop residues or vegetation on top of the ground and sow seed and fertiliser in different bands at the same time.

The Cross Slot process causes minimal or low disturbance to the soil, traps the humidity, preserves the micro-organisms and soil life and largely prevents carbon from escaping into the atmosphere.

No-Tillage is the equivalent of keyhole surgery as opposed to ploughing which is invasive surgery and contributes to global warming. The result of no-tillage is increased yields and the near elimination of crop failure and soil erosion. The long term outcome is sustainable food production which can feed millions of families.

Recently Dr John Baker, who’s been nominated for the World Food Prize, warned that if conventional ploughing isn’t replaced by no-tillage within 50 years there’ll be famine and drought in areas of the world.

“When the soil is ploughed it releases much of the carbon back into the atmosphere. The long term result is a reduction in soil organic matter, which in turn leads to soil erosion, dust storms and ultimately famine,” he said.

John Baker, who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen’s representative in 2006, is hoping to discuss the benefits of his drill to HRH Prince Charles when he visits New Zealand in November.

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