Food & Agribusiness.
Auckland combines world-class research, food innovation and export connectivity, making it a leading agribusiness investment destination.
Sector Overview
With annual export revenue of over NZ$60 billion, the Food and Agribusiness sector is fundamental to New Zealand’s economy – and Auckland plays a vital role in its success.
Auckland has the country’s largest Food and Beverage (F&B) manufacturing cluster. Almost 3,000 F&B businesses (including half of the largest 100 F&B firms) employ 37,000 people and contribute NZ$4.7 billion to the region’s GDP.
It’s also at the heart of New Zealand’s fast-growing agritech sector. Home to AgritechNZ, the Bioeconomy Science Institute and other world-class research institutions, plus a cluster of successful agritech businesses, Auckland is a centre of agritech innovation.
Surrounded by ocean and with one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones, New Zealand is developing a global reputation for aquaculture innovation. New Zealand’s largest integrated fishing and aquaculture business, Sanford, is headquartered in Auckland.
Why Auckland for Food & Agribusiness?
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1.
A thriving, connected food and agribusiness economy
With New Zealand’s biggest F&B manufacturing cluster, largest airport and efficient sea and freight connections, Auckland is the country’s prime logistics hub for domestic and overseas markets.
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2.
A research network built for the bioeconomy
New Zealand spends around half a billion dollars a year on agri-food research and much of it is centred on Auckland. The Bioeconomy Science Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology and Massey University provide world-class expertise, while the NZ Food Innovation Network’s Food Bowl (also located in Auckland) allows businesses to trial and scale new products.
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3.
A collaborative agritech ecosystem driving innovation
In Auckland’s dynamic agritech sector, industry body AgritechNZ links agribusinesses, researchers, government agencies, investors and accelerators into an integrated value chain to help turn great ideas into great businesses.
Ecosystem
ORGANISATIONS
Businesses
Research and Funding
Success story
Halter: Transforming pasture farming with virtual fencing
Halter is redefining livestock management. Its unique combination of smart collars, GPS technology and artificial intelligence enables farmers to move, monitor and manage cattle without the need for physical fences.
Founded in 2016 by two University of Auckland engineering graduates, the company has developed a digital platform that improves pasture utilisation, animal welfare and farm productivity while helping farmers make more informed, data-driven decisions.
Each Halter collar provides real-time location and behavioural data, allowing farmers to create virtual boundaries within paddocks, shift herds remotely and monitor animal health through a smartphone app. By reducing labour requirements and enabling more precise grazing management, the technology helps farmers increase productivity while making farming operations more resilient and sustainable.
Halter has experienced rapid growth, expanding across New Zealand and into Australia as demand grows for technologies that improve the efficiency and environmental performance of pastoral farming. Today Halter serves over 3,500 farmers and ranchers across New Zealand, Australia and the United States, with more than 1 million smart collars deployed. The company has attracted significant investment to support its expansion.
Halter demonstrates Auckland's ability to nurture world-class agritech businesses that combine software engineering, advanced hardware and agricultural science to address some of agriculture's biggest challenges.
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