Have we changed much down on the farm?

Abstract

New Zealand used to be the home of the family farm. Ownership systems were simple, and most farms kept one or two people fully occupied. And objectives were oriented to ‘farming as a way of life’. Has this situation changed much?

In 2006 the average age of farmers in NZ was 50 years, but in 2013 this has edged up three years to 53. The average farm size has similarly edged up from 557 hectares to 591 hectares over the seven years.