With A Lighter Touch entering the final 18 months of the programme, supporting product groups to extend knowledge and resources from their projects is a key strategic focus.
A Lighter Touch’s 13 product group partners lead the knowledge rollout of tools, resources and information from their projects and the wider programme to their growers. Members of the ALT team support the cross-sector collaboration by sharing knowledge from projects and the programme at industry events.
The A Lighter Touch 2025 Communications Survey responses indicated an expectation from respondents that ALT should be doing more direct-to-grower extension. However, the programme is designed for extension to be delivered by the product group partners, who have the direct relationship with growers and know their growers and their needs best.
Orchard manager Euan White and project technical advisor Stephen Ogden conduct a visual soil assessment, an example of a knowledge sharing in the field.
The ALT programme helps amplify the findings and resources from the programme, through its various communication channels, including the monthly newsletter In Touch, its website and podcast, LinkedIn and YouTube.
ALT product groups have differing capacity and capability in extension, and the programme is helping with capability development through training workshops provided by extension experts Scarlatti. This is one of the enduring outcomes of the ALT programme.
For wider industry issues such as resistance management, ALT is working with a cross-sector working group on education and extension plans to increase awareness and adoption of good resistance management practice.
More than 100 resources were distributed at the Horticulture New Zealand 2025 conference, via the A Lighter Touch exhibitor stand.
Look out for knowledge and resources from the A Lighter Touch programme at upcoming industry events as our product group partners support their growers to move from agrichemical reliance to a more sustainable, integrated approach to crop protection.
For growers wanting to know more about the specific benefits their sector is gaining through the A Lighter Touch programme, contact your levy body or product group to find out more.
