Surveys of the European biotechnology industry suggest that regulatory restrictions tend to push product development towards existing technologies and force firms to conduct research abroad, although I should note that it is also claimed that American pharmaceutical companies are conducting an increasing amount of research abroad as well because of regulatory obstacles at home.
Over the past eight years, dairy prices in NZ dollars were, on average, 65 percent higher than in the previous two decades and dairy cattle numbers increased by 30 percent. Productivity growth has also been impressive. During those eight years, improved stock management and supplement use helped generate farm productivity growth (measured by production per hectare) of 1.9 percent per annum.