Government investment for horticulture and seafood research

Wine, hops and health-promoting fruit compounds are among the Plant & Food Research science programmes to receive government investment from a $48 million funding round.

Plant & Food Research has received over $10 million per annum investment from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology latest funding round for five research programmes - the breeding of new varieties of hops; understanding what makes New Zealand Sauvignon blanc unique; identifying fruit compounds that alleviate inflammation; investigating the use of nanofibres from marine by-products for industrial and medical uses; and developing radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors for fruit packaging.

Two additional programmes are also under discussion with the Foundation.

“Our purpose is to build value for the New Zealand horticulture and seafood industries,” says Dr Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Plant & Food Research. “This new investment from the Foundation will allow us to support the horticultural industry in meeting its target of $10 billion by 2020 through the development of new hops cultivars, identifying unique health-promoting properties in New Zealand-grown fruit and allowing our $1 billion wine industry to retain its position in the global market. The new research will also add value to our key industries through the development of methods to increase efficiency throughout the produce supply chain and finding alternative uses for marine waste products.”

The Foundation for Research Science and Technology is responsible for administering investment by the New Zealand government in scientific research and innovation.