Rene Corner,1 Hugh Blair,1 Steve Morris,1 Chris Logan,2 Andy Greer,2 Anne Ridler1 and Paul Kenyon1
1 Massey University, Palmerston North
2 Lincoln University, Canterbury
The Government expects the scientific community to improve the rate of uptake of new knowledge/science by businesses in order to help improve the economy. Similarly, Centres of Research Excellence are required to show how they will translate new science into wealth. A recent Primary Growth Partnership granted to Beef+Lamb (a farmer-owned industry organisation) aims to improve access to information by farmers. However, there is little information available on the uptake of technology to improve farming profit. Therefore we surveyed sheep farmers to determine from whom, and how, they wish to obtain information so that it is most useful to them. The survey was developed by Massey and Lincoln Universities. The survey together with a pre-paid return envelope was sent to all farmers on the Beef+Lamb NZ data base (n≈13,000). In total 1006 survey forms were completed. The survey listed a number of ‘potential’ sources of information and means of obtaining information. Farmers were asked to rank each source on a scale of 1 to 4 (not useful to most useful). In addition the farmers were asked a number of questions that could then be used to describe the ‘farmer population’ (e.g. age, role on farm, education level, type of farm). The results of the survey indicated that there were information providers that farmers found most useful while there were also some that they clearly felt were not. In addition, the survey indicated that farmers have clear preferences on how they wish to receive the information so that it is most useful for them. These two vital aspects can be used to help develop translation strategies to maximise industry uptake of new and existing science. Further studies might wish to determine why farmers believed various information providers and formats were more useful than others.