May 24, 2016
Maori in the dairy workforce
Maori make up less than nine per cent of the dairy workforce and leave the industry earlier than other groups, DairyNZ research shows.
The figures have been revealed as part of the organisation’s strategy to grow Maori participation on farms around the country.
The research was undertaken by business analyst Scarlatti and funded by the Transforming the Dairy Value Chain Primary Growth Partnership venture, a $170 million programme involving the Ministry for Primary Industries and industry partners, including DairyNZ and Fonterra.
The programme aims to enable the creation of new dairy products, increase on-farm productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and improve agricultural education.
The figures show that Maori make up 8.7 per cent of the dairy workforce. Europeans make up 83 per cent of the industry, with immigrants and other ethnicities making up the remaining eight per cent.
DairyNZ Maori Development Manager Tony Finch said the organisation wanted to boost the Maori figure to 15 per cent by 2025.
Retention of workers was also a part of the strategy, he said. The research shows Maori leave the industry earlier than other groups. Just a quarter of Maori last longer than four years in the dairy industry compared with 44 per cent of Europeans.
Finch said Maori land and its primary sector assets were key resources for Maori communities and the New Zealand economy.
“Attracting and retaining Māori to the dairy industry has been a long-acknowledged challenge and untapped opportunity,” he said. “We need to build a stronger Māori workforce and a new generation of leaders to manage the increasing Māori stakeholding in the economy.”
He believed dairying had an image problem with young people.
“It has long had a perception of being an unattractive vocation for teenagers, and evidence collected in interviews indicates that this is especially true for young Māori.
“This [perception] is so far from the truth and needs to be changed.”
Addressing that image was part of the strategy and schools and beneficiaries would be targeted.
“We need to get in front of youth across the education spectrum and heighten their understanding and awareness of the opportunities that exist within agriculture – create an environment of excitement,” he said.
“In respect to beneficiaries, numerous opportunities exist. The challenge is again identifying those that can appreciate the opportunities.”
He felt the best people to help encourage Maori into farming were other Maori.
“We know that young Māori respond and listen better to other young Māori and we have some exceptional examples or ambassadors of successful Māori within the industry.”
Scarlatti director Adam Barker said the research results were collected from a number of sources, including face-to-face interviews with farm owners and workers, and data from a variety of organisations, including the Federation of Maori Authorities, DairyNZ and dairy companies. Dairy consultants around the country were also used.
“The purpose of this work was to help set realistic targets and a timeframe for DairyNZ’s work in the Maori youth area,” said Barker.
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