The energy requirement of farming in New Zealand

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a study of the direct and indirect energy use by the New Zealand farming sector on a 'to-farm-gate' basis. Although detailed statistics are available on this sector in financial terms, little data has been collected on inputs to agriculture in physical terms, and this complicates the application of energy analysis. This report therefore provides complete detail on all working calculations and the assumptions made, so that through wide distribution of these findings and the resulting feedback, the study estimates may be more precisely defined and the resulting energy requirement data improved.