The chief executive of AgResearch is warning that the science sector is likely to have to keep making staff redundant if nothing is done to improve science funding.
AgResearch announced earlier this year it would have to cut about 20 full time scientific jobs, to make up a five million dollar shortfall.
Since then institute has secured $1.8 million in funding from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology to reduce the number of jobs that will have to be axed, although it is not yet known how many positions have been saved.
AgResearch chief executive Andrew West said last year the institute had more redundancies than it was looking at this year.
He said there is a need to increase the degree of career stability to ensure there are fewer better managed changes.
