The crisis took him to New Zealand, he sold fish, he succeeded and revealed what was worth in Argentina

Ivan Larry says he reached New Zealand The “phases” and the fall of the government of Fernando de la Rua in December 2001 created the impression that Argentina was “going backwards” and that there might be a chance in those distant lands. Today, Larry is the Operations Manager at FAR, a company funded by New Zealand manufacturers dedicated to research, development and expansion in cereals and seeds, and forms some of the trade union representations in the industry.

During the nineties, Larry [licenciado en producción animal de la Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-Balcarce] He mainly produced sorghum for the Argentine grinding industry and lived in the countryside in the Balkars area. Later during a trip to New Zealand he became attracted to that country.

“We gradually came to New Zealand to see some of the New Zealand friends we met in Argentina in the early 2000s for vacation,” he says. “We immediately liked the appreciation for agriculture, which is recognized as the engine of the country, its people and the economy. That visit sparked my interest in graduating from Lincoln University, so we returned two years later to study and test the water to see if we would like to live here. Counted as Nation He is from Christchurch on the east-south island where he lives with his family.

It is located in the flat part of New Zealand. He explained that even though it is a place with latitudes like Patagonia, the agricultural practices there are about the same as about 600 mm of damp snakes a year, with sub-irrigation, pivots or side equipment.

After he defined it as a “brief return” to Argentina, employment arose at the largest frozen vegetable and fish companies in New Zealand. And in the midst of Argentina’s predicament he did not hesitate to accept.

“The situation in Argentina at the time was so uncertain that we decided to embark on this adventure while our children were still in school,” he said. He pointed out. In this sense, he recalled the time: “I think the personal work situation was complex in the late 1990s and the day the government of de la Rua fell was the biggest stimulus.

“Despite the obvious cultural differences, New Zealand, especially domestically, has similarities with Argentina, the climate is not very different, there is a connection with the sport, and it is a country of immigrants from everywhere,” he said.

“Here they help you a lot. The neighbors gave me furniture and a car from work, and right away I rented a football club to play on the season. When you’re a foreigner you need to improve your community life and go around meeting people. It’s important to change what the locals do.” He added.

His first job in New Zealand was in Nelson, in the center of the country. “I was the sales manager of a fishery, I sold fish every day across the country. I learned a lot about how management and the food business operate in New Zealand. Everything here is simple, payments are generally fulfilled, duties are respected and bureaucracy is minimal. After three years there, opportunities opened up for me in agriculture and we decided to take them. I spent about eight years as the manager of seed marketing and services for an agricultural research firm that is state-owned, but fully autonomous on its board of directors and board. It’s something like INTA, but it’s primarily about the primary sector investing in technology or intellectual property creation initiatives that work with grower rights in cereals and other annual crops, ”he said.

In this area, he established contacts with technicians and entrepreneurs and other actors from the agricultural sector. Today he is at FAR (The Foundation for Arable Research).

The company deals with research, development and expansion in grains and seeds. In addition, it supports and represents some of the trade union issues in the industry, especially environmental regulations and the use of agrochemicals.

“FAR is owned by all ‘farmers’ in New Zealand and is funded by a 0.9% stipulation on the first sale of grains and seeds, which is mandatory. Made by manufacturers.He pointed out.

In his case, Larry was an operations manager. “I take care of the infrastructure and we have three testing departments, offices and laboratories. Also health and wellness, which has kept me very busy since the Govt eruption, adapting policies to changing circumstances. That is the internal, administrative area, ”he said.

“I am also the manager of the Seed Research Center, a company I have been responsible for since its inception in 2017. [una sociedad formada entre los productores, semilleros, universidades y entes de investigación, con el solo propósito de financiar proyectos de investigación para producción de semillas forrajeras y vegetales]”, He explained. The industry earns $ 300 million a year from exports.

The FAR is funded by a 0.9% cap on the first sale of grains and seeds

“I am responsible for the biosafety area affiliated with the Ministry of Primary Industries, and I am responsible for efforts to promote locally produced grinding wheat. [Nueva Zelanda es importador neto de trigo, principalmente de Australia]”, Great.

To the manager, Argentina in New Zealand helps him a lot “The pragmatism that comes from dealing with less resources and everyday suffering.”

“I’m a little bit lucky to have had the freedom to operate and introduce certain crops, such as high – sounding sunflower. Producers here always maintain longer cycles than Argentina, which includes fodder seed production and the resting phase with grazing. In general, they are mixed organizations, as was the case in Argentina until the 1980s, ”he explained.

Among other goals, he says, his goal is to increase New Zealand’s grain and seed competitiveness.

In this regard, he said, “Diversity in dairy and meat-dominated agriculture is being promoted, which poses some environmental challenges in terms of emissions and nitrogen leakage.”

Larry also says he is “proud” to facilitate cooperation between that country and Argentina. How? He explained it as follows: “We have active cooperation with our colleagues in Abreside, with whom we have already made visits and exchanges, and have signed a joint venture agreement with INTA in 2020. There is also technology transfer with private seed companies in Argentina.”

“Argentina is a world leader in direct seeding, and we see many opportunities for learning and exchanging experiences. There are opportunities for Argentine machines in this market. In this regard, we maintain close ties with the Argentine Embassy in New Zealand. I hope a lot more can be done and that can inspire that issue, ”he concluded.