Innovations behind the farm gate that will influence performance of hill farming

Abstract

TThe challenges on farm What are the big issues that will face us in the hill country over the next 3 decades? It is these issues and the resulting pressures that are likely to shape the innovations required to support a robust future for hill country farming. If necessity is the mother of invention, then what are the pressures and hence what will shape the likely innovations that will be necessary for this important sector in the time ahead? Profitability is at the heart, but the pathway to adoption of innovation begins with farmers understanding and being confident to make system changes as well as having the desire to do it. By looking back over the past few decades at the major lift in productivity, especially in sheep, and at some of the innovations that have contributed, we may be better able to look ahead. There are some broad principles that are likely to be important over the next 30 years: