This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson.

New Zealand Plant Protection Society president Tom Carlin joined the show from their symposium in Napier to break down what’s turning heads in the sector right now. He says new funding finally lets control efforts gain ground for wilding conifers that already cover about two million hectares and threaten another 7.5 million.

“There’s far more of them than there is of us,” he says.

Carlin says the increase, funded through the International Visitor Levy, delivers a strong return on investment and turns a holding fight into progress.

He says foundational data is the country’s best defence, predicting where pathogens and pests take hold under a changing climate.

This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson. You can find your local team at store.pggwrightson.co.nz 

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.