National Farming Review June 2016 by NZME.

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June 2016 National Farming Review

INSIDER

JUNE 2016

See you at the Fieldays

Bloomin’

MENACE Arable industry and MPI seek answers

Prices subject to change due to currency ﬂuctuations

Read on P10 & 11

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Federated Farmers will be in familar territory at this month’s national Fieldays at Mystery Creek. You can visit us at the Pavilion PB46 and the NZ Farmer M38 stand opposite the innovation centre. The largest agricultural expo in the southern hemisphere promises to be a big morale booster for farmers who will descend on the Waikato site over four days. Federated Farmers’ GM Membership Services Lyndel Stone said, “We are planning to have our national board members and respective provincial presidents present and available every day of the event. “We encourage farmers and others to come and join us for a yarn to talk farming and those issues which Feds can help with,” she said. Mrs Stone said there would be an opportunity for farmers to come and discuss employment contracts and agreements and to find out the best tailored deal for their particular business or employment situation. “We have a 10 per cent discount on all contracts [excluding health & safety] between 13 and 27 June. Also, if you sign up to a Feds’ membership at Fieldays you receive a free contract up to the value of $80.50 [member prices].” Fieldays was not all about business either. Federated Farmers was inviting farmers to take part in their social media photo competition. “You can go into our prize draw by posting a photo of yourself, friends and family with a Feds’ logo using #LetsTalkFarming on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. “We’re looking forward to meeting you at Fieldays , #LetsTalkFarming !

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National Farming Review June 2016

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PERSPECTIVE

Prepare for the future

JUNE 2016

THE GOVERNMENT HAS A TARGET TO DOUBLE OUR PRIMARY EXPORTS BY 2025. COMPANIES AND FARMERS ARE RESPONDING BY SPECIALISING, MOVING UP THE VALUE CHAIN AND DIVERSIFYING.

By DR WILLIAM ROLLESTON Federated Farmers National President

BIODIVERSITY

Farmers in Mackenzie Basin leading the way

P18

WATER

Feds oppose Government’s freshwater proposals P3

REGIONAL ECONOMY

Manawatu-Whanganui has economic potential

MISSING RESOURCE

Feds underwhelmed by RMA proposals

P12

RURAL HEALTH

Feds join RHAANZ to promote rural community agenda P6

FIELD DAYS 2016

New chief executive takes the reins P8

WEATHER

Winter outlook from Metservice

Editor: John Donnachie Ph: 04 470-2162 jdonnachie@fedfarm.org.nz Memberships: April van Dam Ph: 0800 327-646 avandam@fedfarm.org.nz Advertising: Linda Friedrich Ph: 021 225-4610 linda.friedrich@apn.co.nz ■ ISSN 1179-4526

P14

Fonterra’s payout forecast for next season means we can expect another year of tight times for our dairy farmers, for those of us who provide support to the industry and for our rural communities. In short the dairy downturn affects us all. The last two years have not been easy but farmers have shown an extraordinary degree of resilience and, in fact, optimism. This was evident at the Maori Farmer of the Year awards which was celebrated in Hamilton recently and, I understand, at the Dairy Industry awards. The winners of the Dairy Industry Supreme award and the Young Maori Farmer both reminded me that

for those who are prepared to work hard and play straight the rewards are still there. Depressed prices have affected the number of students training through the Primary ITO and while I agree with the

optimism reflected in the awards evening we have a challenge to attract young talent into the industry. The Government has a target to double our primary exports by 2025. Companies and farmers are responding by specialising, moving up the value chain and diversifying. Landcorp has branched out into sheep milking, and my

own farming enterprise has diversified into specialist biological products and services to serve the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Clearwater Organic Dairy in South Canterbury is producing speciality yoghurts while Firstlight has moved up the value chain in the meat sector. There is value in diversity. Diversity builds resilience and that diversity needs to be built on a strong foundation of science. Digital and genetic technologies are opening up exciting options for farmers and career paths for our best and brightest. The next two years are going to test us and we need to get through the “now” but our young should look into the future, as those young award winners have done, and see a thriving industry full of opportunity.

Biosecurity incursions wake-up call By GRAHAM SMITH Federated Farmers Chief Executive The recent biosecurity incursions are worrying, particularly velvetleaf, given their impact on the livelihood of our farmers and the wider primary sector. Keeping the country disease free is critical, given our reliance on the primary industries and the fact that they contribute 75 per cent of New Zealand’s exports. Federated Farmers is taking these incursions extremely seriously. Arable Industry Chair Guy Wigley and his team are meeting with MPI’s Director General and his senior staff on a regular basis to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response to ultimately eliminate such threats.

Farmers have an important role to play in managing the current incursions and averting future ones and on pages 10-11, we talk with those involved in the current velvetleaf outbreak.

Another issue resting on farmers’ minds are the proposals for freshwater reform. The Government has outlined its intentions, the majority of which Federated Farmers is disappointed with. Cathy Begley discusses this and the reasons why on page 3. We invited the ACT Party to discuss their vision for our RMA Reform and I’m sure NFR readers will be interested to read on page 13 what their leader David Seymour has to say in regard to not just their policy, but the politics around making it happen. I would like to congratulate the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) and our Feds policy team for the recent inaugural RuralFest conference held here at Federated Farmers Wellington boardrooms. It’s no mean feat to bring

together 42 diverse organisations from across the rural and health sectors. This is a wonderful initiative to promote all aspects of rural health and presenting five recommendations to Parliament after two days was a great achievement and emphasises the passion that exists for our rural communities and their welfare. Finally, it’s that time of the year again with Fieldays rolling into Mystery Creek. This is always an eagerly anticipated event for farmers and the wider primary sector. We give you a sneak preview of what to expect and speak with new Fieldays CEO Peter Nation on page 6. If you get the chance to visit Fieldays, Federated Farmers has a stand in the main pavilion, so watch out for us and come and have a yarn!

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June 2016 National Farming Review

ENVIRONMENT

Freshwater proposals opposed By CATHY BEGLEY Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor, Water and Environment

Central government is embarking upon some potentially significant changes to how natural resources are managed within New Zealand. This reform began with the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill in late 2015 and more recently with the consultation document Next Steps for Freshwater which provides additional detail as to how some of the changes are proposed. Federated Farmers supports a number of the proposals, however it is strongly opposed to the vast majority. There is a proposal to change how Water Conservation Orders (WCO) are to be processed. Federated Farmers fully support the ability of the Minister to delay the processing of WCO where there are planning processes in train. It is incredibly frustrating when this instrument is used to frustrate a legitimate planning process when particular group(s) perceives they may not get the high level of protection they

FOCUS: Our waterways and how they are managed in the future are a big focus after the Government released its proposals for freshwater resource.

deem warranted for a particular waterway. There is also a proposal to implement Good Man-

agement Practices (GMPs) which we have conditionally supported. The condition of support is that

there must be a high level of flexibility to ensure that farm system specific GMPs are implemented. The Next Steps for Freshwater also proposes to change the National Policy Statement — Freshwater (NPS — FW). In particular the Federation sees some merit in providing additional guidance around how ‘maintain and improve water quality’ can be achieved. However, we do not support the narrowing of being able to achieve this to only being within a given attribute band. That the judgment can only be made within a Freshwater Management Unit (FMU) rather than looking at how the region as a whole is performing. Once again the Federation does see merit in the using Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI) as a tool for measuring whether the ecological health of a waterway(s) is maintained or improved, once current limitations with MCI are addressed. Though it does need additional weightings which are not based upon being downstream of point source discharges and can only be applied within hard bottom waterways. Federated Farms is however, fundamentally opposed to the

proposal to transferring consents to the highest value use and the proposal to unbundle the taking and use aspect of water permits. In our view this sets the platform firmly in place for a formal tradable market to be put in place. In our view this does not result in resources being used more efficiently, rather quite the opposite. While Federated Farmers strongly supports the exclusion of dairy cattle from particular waterways within the milking platform by 2017, with the west coast of the South Island being exempt from this requirement. But we are very concerned with aspects of the stock exclusion proposals. In particular we were deeply troubled proposals put out for consultation without the necessary, and expected cost benefit analysis. In addition, we are deeply concerned there is an underlying inherent assumption that for stock to be excluded from waterways, the waterway needs to be permanently fenced. There is a real lack of specificity as to how the proposals will be implemented. This means it is difficult for farmers to determine whether the proposal will impact upon their farm.

Farm wages holding firm despite a difficult year By NICK HANSON Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor Despite another turbulent farming year, wages are holding firm according to Federated Farmers and Rabobank’s ninth annual Farm Employee Remuneration Survey. Generally, wages across most sectors of pastoral farming are stable, although there has been a small shift downward of additional benefits provided. This survey has become a staple for many farmers looking to recruit or to check their current staff against the latest

statistics. The survey shows strong growth in salaries for most sheep, beef and arable employees, even with basically zero inflation, which means genuine real income increases for many farm workers at all levels of experience and responsibility. Looking at the dairy industry there is a very interesting feature in this year’s survey that shows a difference between cash salary and total package value. As well as the cash component of salaries, the survey also focuses on value measuring all those extras that farmers often provide their staff like

firewood, petrol for personal use or Sky/internet. By adding the value of these extras together and then the cash component of the salary they have calculated a total package value (TPV). For the first time, this year in dairy, we have seen generally small increases in cash salary but small decreases in the value of extras provided. This may indicate a significant number of farmers have chosen to follow Federated Farmers advice and focus first on ensuring that the salary matches the skill level and value of the employee, and avoid filling in gaps in cash salary with

extras. Those nice wee extras that farmers often provide their employees are really important and in many ways they separate us from other industries, but they shouldn’t be used as a substitute for cash for a fair wage. What is also really pleasing is we’ve seen a vast improvement in the number of dairy farm employees for whom working hours are recorded. I know many farmers thought time sheets were behind them when they transitioned their staff onto an annual salary. But, there is still a need to keep accurate time and wage records,

especially for employees who work variable or often long hours to demonstrate compliance with the minimum wage. It’s a message that both DairyNZ and Federated Farmers has been hammering through its Sustainable Dairying: Workplace Action Plan and it’s good to see that dairy farmers are getting it. There was some improvement in last year’s survey, and for the three most junior positions (Farm Assistant, Assistant Herd Manager and Herd Manager) the average percentage of those without work time records has halved to 12 per cent.

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ECONOMY

Poor performing areas pushed I’M FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND I’M HERE TO HELP

By MAT HOCKEN Federated Farmers’ Manawatu-Rangitikei Dairy Chair The Manawatu and Whanganui region has an abundance of natural resources, from the beauty of Ruapehu and the Whanganui River, down through the rich soils of the Manawatu and Rangitikei, as well as plentiful ground and surface water. The region is a hub for innovation, with world-class educational and scientific institutions based in Palmerston North. Expertise in R&D, biotech, agri-tech, animal health and food-tech was bolstered by the recent announcement of a new centre for Food Safety Science and Research. And yet, we lag behind other regions in New Zealand in key metrics such as economic growth, productivity and employment. So, why aren’t we doing better? In 2015 an independent report commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), entitled the Manawatu ¯Whanganui Regional Growth Report was released. The report gave at times a sobering review of what the region was good at, where it had potential and where it was failing. It identified eight priority opportunities for growth, and four elements that the authors, NZIER and Henley Hutchings, termed ‘enablers’ that support the opportunities identified. What’s in it for farmers? Well, quite a lot. For a start, five out of the eight opportunities identified were farming related, so it is patently obvious farming is central to the region achieving its potential.

A KEY TO IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY WILL BE SPREADING THE BEST PRACTICES OF THE TOP PERFORMERS MORE BROADLY ACROSS THE SECTOR. — MAT HOCKEN

One example is Manuka honey, which provides a clear market opportunity. While it is an immature industry with risks around regulation and standards, high yields, better use of marginal land and environmental outcomes such as erosion control make it an important opportunity. Another example is the sheep and beef sector where we are a major player nationally, with more than 15 per cent of the nation’s beef herd and nearly 20 per cent of the sheep flock. A key to improving productivity will be spreading the best practices of the top performers more broadly across the sector. The Red Meat Profit Partnership is already leading the charge and support for specific research

proposals from Massey University and AgResearch will help strengthen the link between scientific innovations and how they are implemented inside the farm gate. We are also blessed with a large amount of highly productive Class 1, 2 and 3 soils as well as water reserves, a significant amount of which is unallocated. Small-to-medium water storage projects could bring real

benefit for stock water reticulation and irrigation. Pasture and crop yields can be increased significantly and the effects of droughts can be reduced along with reliance on imported feed. We need better understanding of where we have excess water, what is the optimal scale and location, and what are the broader cost and benefits to ensure the environmental sustainability of our region.

Hands up how many farmers have heard that line? Not many I’m guessing, and the cynics may say we’ve seen it all before: a flash report by some pointy headed academics, some political hot air and then, well, nothing. Farmers are not cynics, but they are the ultimate realists. We know that some of the activities will fail, others will not get out of the starting gate, and for some activities it will be a case of ‘get out of the way and let us get on with it’. However, there is a growing groundswell of support for this project. Federated Farmers representatives in the region have been active in contributing both to the study and the action plans coming out of it. We are ensuring that farmers’ views are heard, and activities are focused on real, tangible actions that are going to grow the sector and contribute to the regional economy. When you ally the business sector, iwi — who importantly are looking to invest, and broader community support, plus the commitment of seven district council mayors, Horizons, MBIE, MPI, Te Puni Kokiri and their ministers, there is a large amount of political, business and community-will behind making this successful. Ultimately, if we want to increase the economic growth of the region, and the benefits of higher incomes, lower unemployment and a more vibrant society with cohesive regional communities it is up to us to make it happen. And with the stars aligned and keys actors committing to this project, you must ask yourself — if not now, when?

Survey highlights increasing pressure By NICK CLARK General Policy Manager Farmers overall remain satisfied with their banks, but pressure is building and sharemilkers are feeling it most. This is the main message from Federated Farmers’ latest quarterly banking survey, undertaken in May. More than 900 farmers responded to the survey, which although down on February’s survey is not a bad response considering it was held only days after a big member survey on animal welfare regulations. Since the first survey last August, perceptions about “undue pressure” have gradually built, albeit from a low starting point. In May’s survey, 9.7 per cent of all farmers felt they were coming under “undue pressure” regarding their mortgage, up from February’s 8.5 per cent. For dairy farmers it was 12.9 per cent (up from 10.9 per cent) and for sharemilkers it was 21.9 per cent

TODAY’S LOW INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT IS A GODSEND AND IT WILL BE SAVING MANY FARMERS SIGNIFICANT DEBT SERVICING COSTS. — NICK CLARK

(up from 17.2 per cent).

It was a similar picture for overdrafts, with 7.3 per cent of all farmers and 10.3 per cent of dairy farmers feeling they had come under undue pressure, with both actually down slightly on February. However, for sharemilkers the picture is worsening with 19.7 per cent feeling they had come under undue pressure, up from 16.7 per cent in February. It’s important to recognise that to date other farming types, like sheep, beef and arable, are not reporting nearly the same extent of bank pressure and their numbers have hardly moved since the survey started. Despite building pressure on dairy farmers and especially sharemilkers, bank satisfaction remains strong overall. 81 per cent of all farmers and 79 per cent of dairy farmers said they were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with their banks. Both are similar to results from February and earlier surveys. However, sharemilkers were somewhat less happy, with

70 per cent satisfaction, down from 78 per cent in February. The quality of bank communication also remains favourable overall. Seventy-eight per cent of all farmers believed communication on their mortgages had been “excellent” or “good”, with dairy farmers also on 78 per cent and sharemilkers on 73 per cent – all stable since February. For overdrafts, 74 per cent of all farmers believe it had been “excellent” or “good”, with dairy farmers on 75 per cent, both up a little on February. However, sharemilkers’ happiness with communication lagged well behind at only 62 per cent and down 7 points on February. Overall, 67 per cent of farmers reported having detailed up-todate budgets for the current season about to end. Not surprisingly given the greater scrutiny banks place on farmers with debt, dairy farmers (75 per cent) and sharemilkers (87 per cent) had higher proportions. To end on a positive note, interest rates are relatively low

and they are still edging down. Compared to February both mortgage and overdraft rates were down by about 20 basis points to 5.41 per cent and 7.59 per cent respectively on average. Both were also about 90 basis points lower than the same time last year. Although there were reports of higher margins being imposed and concerns that OCR cuts are not being fully passed on, it appears there are still farmers coming off higher fixed rates and have been re-fixing or floating on today’s lower interest rates. Today’s low interest rate environment is a godsend and it will be saving many farmers significant debt servicing costs. Those who remember the mid-tolate 1980s with borrowing rates well over 20 per cent will be well aware of this. We will next be surveying farmers in August and we sincerely thank all our survey participants for their help in giving us a clearer picture of the situation.

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June 2016 National Farming Review

AGRIBUSINESS

Agriculture most productive sector By JACQUELINE ROWARTH Professor of Agribusiness, The University of Waikato The agricultural sector is the most productive in the country. Year on year, Statistics New Zealand produces the data and somehow agricultural success is glossed over in concerns about the environment and hype over the number of tourists that are coming into the country. The facts are clear. Over the last 20 years, multifactor productivity increased 1.5 per cent per annum in agriculture. Accommodation and food services decreased 0.6 per cent and arts and recreation services decreased 0.9 per cent. Labour productivity increased 2.1 per cent in agriculture during those 20 years, accommodation and food services decreased 0.3 per cent and arts and recreation 0.6 per cent.

TECHNOLOGY

There are only so many beds or tables that can be made or served in an hour, and so many people that can be passed through a gallery or historical site. In contrast improved technologies have made a big difference to agriculture. This is despite the increased paperwork connected with increased regulation and the socalled ageing of the average farmer. Technology (of the medical type) has made a difference there as well; advances mean that people of 55-65 are in their prime for adoption (and adaption) of new technologies. Pew Research suggests that this is because they have experience and know their business. They are able to evaluate the likelihood of success and rule out some ideas before investing in them. They also have ideas about what might work, and by partnering with others can create real innovation — defined as something that changes people’s behaviour. Iconic Waikato developments include the herring-bone shed, inline milk sampler, electric fenc-

THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY BEDS OR TABLES THAT CAN BE MADE OR SERVED IN AN HOUR, AND SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CAN BE PASSED THROUGH A GALLERY OR HISTORICAL SITE. IN CONTRAST IMPROVED TECHNOLOGIES HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO AGRICULTURE. — JACQUELINE ROWARTH

ing and shoes for cows. The latest developments will be on-show at Mystery Creek National Field Days, as will the latest research from many institutions, all competing for attention and funding.

CHALLENGE

The big challenge for New Zealand agriculture is how to keep productivity increasing, given the societal pressures and the pressures on the science system. The KPMG Agribusiness Agenda 2015, released at National Fieldays last year, made the issues clear: New Zealand doesn’t have what the Agenda described as ‘the entrepreneurial transformational innovation system’ that is needed to grow value in the primary sector. Little has

Farmers are benefiting from new technologies and innovation which is improving overall farm performance and management.

changed in the ensuing months. Concerns identified last year included the structure of the government-funded system, the competitive funding mechanism (whether from external agencies or within the Crown Research Institutes), underinvestment in science, the lack of corporate profitability in order to fund investment, and the challenges of attracting and retaining key people. These points have been made repeatedly; now there are concerns that the capability to deliver the innovation required to compete globally doesn’t exist in New Zealand. The KPMG Agenda 2015 suggested that some sectors had consistently performed well, but ‘it is not clear that the overall innovation system is the reason’. The Agenda identified that the practical innovation that has allowed the productivity gains in the dairy sector have come from improved breeding and feeding, supported by technological ad-

vances developed by companies (in animal management and identification, for instance). In the kiwifruit industry, development of new cultivars has been heavily funded by Zespri.

RESEARCH

In contrast, the cross-sector research in, for instance, nutrient management, pasture cultivars and pests is faltering. In fact, any research not directly related to a commercial outcome was considered to be struggling. KPMG identified that within the current innovation system ‘there is limited oversight to ensure that investment supports broader industry goals. With most funding subject to a competitive process, investment is directed towards commercial projects rather than higher risk innovation that has the potential to be transformational to the future’. Writing in Harvard Business Review in April this year, USbased business consultant Greg

Satell challenged readers with the statement that ‘If you want to compete at the highest level, you have to treat collaboration as a competitive advantage.’ He suggested that pooling resources with government, academia and other industry players, is a good thing at the pre-competitive stage. “Although commerce is necessarily a competitive endeavour,” he explained, “Discovery is a collective one. The two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.” Farmers have a role to play in discovery. They are on farm, knowing the challenges, and thinking of solutions. A discussion with a scientist, researcher or industry person at Fieldays could be the kick start to the innovation and increased productivity that the country needs. Agriculture is stronger when we work together; the record of productivity is in the statistics.

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National Farming Review June 2016

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RURAL HEALTH

Taking care of farmers’ health By KRISTY MCGREGOR Federated Farmers Regional Policy Advisor Federated Farmers has been involved in numerous projects and events over the years promoting farmers’ emotional wellbeing and its importance to rural community health. Last month we partnered with the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) to launch the inaugural RuralFest at our Wellington conference facility, providing policy and communications expertise. The culmination of many years and months of planning, RuralFest brought together 42 member bodies from RHAANZ. Over two days, rural health priorities were discussed, distilled and finally presented to Ministers and MPs at Parliament afterwards. Ruralfest is a unique model based on Australia’s National Rural Health Alliance CouncilFest which has been running for a number of years. How did the priorities come together? We aligned the interests of 42 diverse organisations from across the rural and health sectors. The first day was spent workshopping and discussing the priorities of each member organisation, before these were narrowed down to the top five issues for agenda. While the room was buzzing with discussion, talented graphic recorder Mary Brake was completing a visual depiction of the language and symbolism used. RuralFest sought to make sure the health and wellbeing of our rural communities is on the politicians agenda. And not only did the contingent take issues, they also took solutions to the issues to Parliament. The top five priorities reflect the fact that the health and wellbeing of our rural communities is broader than just physical health — it covers the whole health spectrum.

BILL: Federated Farmers and RHAANZ presented their recommendations at the Beehive after the inaugural RuralFest held over two days in Wellington last month.

ALIGNING THE INTERESTS OF 42 DIVERSE ORGANISATIONS FROM ACROSS THE RURAL AND HEALTH SECTORS IS NO MEAN FEAT. — KRISTY MCGREGOR

Connectivity emerged a key issue — not only does poor access reduce the ability to

deliver good, quality health outcomes through telehealth options, lack of broadband and

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reception affects the ability for rural areas to attract and retain the rural health workforce. Among the solutions were all state highways to have multiple carrier coverage and all medical facilities to be connected by fibre like speeds by 2019. The need for more robust data to inform better evidenced based health policy making was also identified by RHAANZ members. Routine reporting of health outcome data does not compare rural and urban communities, which makes it hard to confirm poor health outcomes that are anecdotally referred

to in rural areas. Members identified a rural desk, as used to be across all Ministries, as a key to better informing policy and providing for an investment in data of this sort. Rural wellbeing, health workforce issues and the need for retention of rural health facilities including hospitals were also discussed as priority areas for attention. Federated Farmers and RHAANZ anticipates that RuralFest will engender ongoing dialogue with policymakers to shape a future for our rural communities that is healthy, vibrant and livable.

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June 2016 National Farming Review

RURAL HEALTH

Dairy farmer Peter West has had many challenges throughout his life with emotional wellbeing. He wanted to share his story with other farmers and revisit the journey he took to take back control of his life through personal development and self leadership.

Taking control of your own life My wife said something to me one day that I thought was completely off the mark. She felt I was withholding some anger and I might benefit from some new self-leadership skills. I remember saying to her, “I don’t have any anger issues”. Anger is so often a defensive action to push away things that make us feel uncomfortable. My reaction generally was ‘really? me?’ I’m the super Mr Nice Guy who tries to please everybody and make the world a happier place. As a male the perceived expectation in society and from within myself was not to display anger as it is a weakness in ourselves. However, we have not been taught how to deal with the frustrations that we build up in everyday life and there are so many we are exposed to in the farming industry. This thinking also includes all those people in our service sector, supportive industries and local communities as well. We are not alone in this area of emotional awareness — or lack of it. I had played out this nice guy scenario with a smile on my face in public very well for years. However, inside over time my chest tightened and my reactions to things was telling me all was not well. I did not recognise it for what it was, and began blaming outside influences for my situation. I also had no tools to deal with where I was at and would not acknowledge it as I thought it was a sign of weakness. The Mr Nice Guy facade gets harder and harder as things stack up with life and as I got more tired and negative thinking cracks would appear, but I would

HEALTHY MIND:Dairy farmer Peter West took some convincing that he had anger issues, but once he accepted he needed help and guidance he has never looked back, and now wants to help other farmers improve their emotional wellbeing.

quickly cover them up again. For me it came out by doing things like being defensive, blaming others, making sarcastic remarks and I got depressed. If we have no awareness and no outlet for our frustrations it will catch us out as it simmers away under the surface. It then comes out exploding over the smallest thing and we are shocked at where it has come from. It’s usually directed at this stage at our loved ones in our life as they are the only ones who tolerate this behaviour. Then you start feeling really bad about

what you have done and knock yourself about. You may start taking it out on staff and others in your local community with behaviours we wouldn’t accept done to ourselves or you may do what I did by shutting down, avoidance and sulking, wanting attention yet I pushed it away when it did come, becoming a victim to myself. Now when I finish my day I stop at the door and check in with where I am at. If I’m frustrated I let it out either by using my punch bag in the garage or I’ll go on the bike or run and let it go.

I will not bring it into my house and dump it onto my family or staff. It is my reaction and my responsibility and now I have some practical tools to deal with it. I have to admit how right my amazing wife was and how lucky I was she had the courage to say ‘I have had enough’ and made a change in herself that she wanted to see in the world around her. She did what she could only do and that was to lead the way and set the example with the skills she learnt from our good friend Corene Walker.

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As my wife grew stronger, and I dropped my learned protective mechanisms and grew stronger in leadership, our relationship as a couple jumped to a new level and for that I am so grateful. It is much nicer to be able to listen to each other and answer each other with the respect we both deserve. ■ If you would like to find out more about improving your emotional wellbeing Email peter@corenewalker.com or view self-leadership course programmes that Peter took part in at www.corenewalker.com

National Farming Review June 2016

www.fedfarm.org.nz Ph 0800 327 646

FIELD DAYS

Fieldays head lands dream job By JOHN DONNACHIE After 20 years involvement with Fieldays in a variety of roles, Peter Nation has landed his dream job. Mr Nation is the new Chief Executive of the largest agricultural expo in the southern hemisphere. “I’ve been a visitor, the banker to the society, exhibitor, been on the governance board and now I get to run it.” For Mr Nation the role was an absolute privilege. “Not many get this opportunity. It’s been said I was made for this job,” he laughed. An ANZ rural banker for 26 years he retired early and opted for a career change, working with Gallaghers as their NZ national sales manager. Being an ex-Kellogg’s scholar, Mr Nation has a rich heritage in agriculture and was involved in putting together the nationally acclaimed Ballance Environment Awards. “I was involved for 10 years and held office as Trust chair and treasurer, and it’s really satisfying to see how prestigious the event has become,” he said. Mr Nation said his Agribackground, extensive management experience and love affair with Fieldays would assist him with his new high profile role. He intended leaving no stone unturned in making this Fieldays and future events the best it can possibly be. “It’s not necessarily about restructuring, more around making sure what we are doing is right with running and promoting the business.” This year’s event was the biggest ever in terms of exhibitors. “We are packed with 1400 sites, with the new careers and education hub creating huge interest.” Fieldays acknowledged the Government’s drive to recruit 50,000 extra primary sector workers. The Society wanted to play its part with this new hub developed to fit with their Future Leaders growth strategy. “Minster (Nathan) Guy will be opening the hub. We’ll also have students from the University of Waikato and Young Farmers talking about their experiences in agriculture and what made them

I CONSIDER OUR EVENT TO BE POLITICALLY NEUTRAL. FIELDAYS ORGANISERS HAVE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE THEMES AND ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE MARKET AND FARMERS. — PETER NATION NZ National Fieldays Society Chief Executive

choose that career and the potential it offers,” he said. One exhibit sure to draw a crowd is the innovation precinct. Mr Nation said it was always popular and aligned to meet Fieldays’ focus on technology reinforcing this year’s theme — Collaborate to Accelerate Innovation. “The innovation centre is truly an iconic Fieldays experience. We thought we might have to turn people away, such is the interest. Entrants can also get advice on legal and financial matters and Intellectual Property (IP) which are increasingly becoming important for inventors and innovators, as they need this support,” he said. After 48 years, Fieldays still maintains its relevance and one of its undisputed strengths which distinguish the event from others, is the diversity of exhibits. The Fieldays National No.8 Wire Art Award for example is less heralded than traditional and conventional farmer attractions yet it has received a record 32 entries this year from

budding metal artists. Mr Nation said Fieldays’ longevity could be put down to a range of factors — staying true to the organisation’s business objectives and long-term vision while also bridging the ruralurban divide. “I consider our event to be politically neutral. Fieldays organisers have never lost sight of the themes and issues relevant to the market and farmers.” The exhibitors though were

ultimately what drove the show. Their energy, investment and inventiveness made it the colossal event it had become. In return they got branding exposure, and the site was the ideal platform to promote their innovation and technology towards selling their products and services. “We have a unique location here at Mystery Creek. “It’s a whopping 114 hectares and is said to be one of the few

places where you can ‘dig it, sleep it and eat it’. A truly versatile site for many large scale exhibits and conferences.” “Farmers just love Fieldays. It’s like a big recipe that has evolved over the years and everyone wants a slice. “We’ve got 150 volunteers. Some are coming even from the South Island and some are using up their annual leave just to be part of helping to deliver a world class event.”

Farmers like Fieldays - so do thieves By Angela Hogg As farmers throughout New Zealand flock to Fieldays they’re warned that ‘opportunistic sticky fingers’ are prone to targeting rural properties to take what isn’t theirs. Counties Manukau South Police are reminding rural residents in Franklin of the historical spike in burglary and thefts seen from farms over the week of Fieldays and shortly after. With many farmers away at

Fieldays and the prospect of shiny new equipment on farm once they return, thieves take advantage of this opportunity. Federated Farmers Rural Security spokesperson Rick Powdrell says not only is theft extremely frustrating, it can also cause a serious disruption to your farming operation and is a safety issue for your family and employees on the property. “We’re encouraging farmers to get prepared — lock all your equipment away securely and clearly record and identify all

WE’RE ENCOURAGING FARMERS TO GET PREPARED — LOCK ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT AWAY SECURELY AND CLEARLY RECORD AND IDENTIFY ALL PROPERTY. — RICK POWDRELL

property.” The low incidence of serial number recording and lack of engraving or identification of property makes recovery more difficult. Owners are encouraged

to register property at www.snap.co.nz FMG and NZ Police, with support from Federated Farmers, have developed the Rural Crime Prevention Advice

Guide which contains advice on steps you can take to help you reduce the likelihood of theft occurring on your property. You can download this at www.fmg.co.nz/advice/advice/ rural-theft/, pick one up from the NZ Police site at Fieldays, or have a chat with the teams on the FMG, NZ Police and Federated Farmers sites at Fieldays. ■ To confidentially report crime, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Ph 0800 327 646 www.fedfarm.org.nz

June 2016 National Farming Review

HEALTH & SAFETY

You are never too old to learn about farm safety By WENDY CLARK Federated Farmers’ Auckland Executive We have all done it; driven the tractor uphill in the wrong gear for the load. Or flipped a cast cow using her powerful back legs for leverage. There’s also leaving the quadbike idling in reverse and accelerating backwards, expecting to go forward. Not great if there’s a drop behind the bike! It usually happens when we are tired, hungry and stressed. Heavy machinery and stock equal risk! Farming is a dangerous occupation, no question about that. And statistics show we need to do a whole lot better. We need a culture change. Despite 30 years’ experience, I’m in one of the danger brackets – the older farmer. Yep, older farmers are prone to accidents. Most quad bike fatalities, for example, involve experienced riders, mostly male. Around half are over 60 years. Did you know that one of the leading causes of quad roll-overs is a slightly flat front tyre? And, though quads get all the attention, tractor accidents cause more deaths? The new legislation had its birth in the Pike River Mine disaster. Now we are responsible for each other’s safety. Sharemilker and farm owner have joint responsibility for ensuring all workers on the farm, sharemilker and owner included, are operating safely. Previously, only the sharemilker was responsible for his employees. Even if you are a hands-off equity partner or a sleeping company director you may be liable for serious accidents that happen in your business if health and safety practices are found wanting or

HEAVY MACHINERY AND HEAVY STOCK EQUAL RISK! FARMING IS A DANGEROUS OCCUPATION, NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. AND STATISTICS SHOW WE NEED TO DO A WHOLE LOT BETTER. — WENDY CLARK

undocumented. Likewise, we are responsible for the contractors that work on farm. It doesn’t mean you have to be physically present all day long to monitor the service being provided by these specialists. But you do need to be assured that the contractor does, indeed, have a health and safety policy and that his employees know about any particular hazards on farm relating to the job they will be doing. Federated Farmers can provide a simple template for printing off and signing by contractors. Keep a copy yourself so that you build up a file over time. Farmers are practical people. They struggle to understand how a piece of paper will

save a life or prevent a roll-over on the silage stack. But today, not only do we need to have those conversations and do the practical stuff around keeping safe. We also have to provide evidence that those

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things are actually happening. Many farms employ fewer than two people and generally, those employers work alongside their staff, sharing the same tasks and risks. No-one wants their employee,

contractor or family to have an accident. These are the people we live and work side by side with. They are our neighbours, our mates, our loved ones. We need to keep each other safe!

National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

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VELVETLEAF

How did Velvetleaf happen? The recent Velvetleaf incursion has many in the arable and wider primary sector speculating about the source and why it happened. After weeks of rumour MPI is conducting a national debrief to reveal their findings and the lessons learned. The National Farming Review spoke with some of the leading players involved and affected since the invasive weed took hold of paddocks throughout the mainland. “Someone has cut corners somewhere, and it will cost the country millions in response. “Surely one of them — a farmer, agronomist, seed cleaner, seed company, the regulator, would have known about this, so why did it slip through?” Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group Chair Guy Wigley poses the question which has been on the minds of most kiwi grain farmers this autumn. Following the trail from southern Italy to Denmark to our shores, the old cliche´ “finding a needle in a haystack” springs to mind. Then one considers the scale of tracing the recent incursion is akin to 1 in 40,000 seeds or four plants in over 20 hectares the task at hand requires thorough examination. What we do know is contaminated Kyros, Bangor, Feldherr and Troya seed lots passed through our borders with their subsequent planting throughout paddocks across the Mainland, creating an unrelenting surge of the invasive weed velvetleaf- regarded as the world’s worst.

THE IMPORTER

Canterbury-based and Danishowned DLF Seeds & Science has been implicated as the importer of the contaminated seeds to New Zealand. In early May the company’s managing director Tom Bruynel declared: “We have to accept it has been linked to two DLF seedlots.” DLF’s Denmark operations described the situation as “most unfortunate”, but said they had met the import health standards required at the time. When asked about the DLF supply chain Mr Bruynel said Syngenta which has an HQ in Switzerland was the seed producer while the processor is Denmark based Maribo. “They [Syngenta] are an agribusiness conglomerate and well-respected company which specialises in fodder beet seed and sugar beet, producing 400,000 hectares annually.” Mr Bruynel discounted that DFL’s supply chain and processes where different to other European seed companies that supply New Zealand. He said DLF’s suppliers followed industry guidelines which included testing for ‘bolters’ and taking samples in the field. “You can’t possibly test 100 per cent of seeds. There are only so many glass houses and you are working with limited area to do this in,” he said. Lincoln University’s Dr Jim Gibbs, an advocate for fodder beet growing in New Zealand, is angry about the Velvetleaf in-

SURELY ONE OF THEM — A FARMER, AGRONOMIST, SEED CLEANER, SEED COMPANY, THE REGULATOR, WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS, SO WHY DID IT SLIP THROUGH? — GUY WIGLEY Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group Chair

cursion and wants a transparent and robust investigation. While the majority of fodder beet entering the country didn’t present a risk, was safe and from reliable sources, he felt compelled to speak out. “I feel a sense of loyalty to the New Zealand primary sector, and saying we already have it (velvetleaf) in the Waikato is not good enough, we need to do better.” As for the shipment of seeds entering the country but still meeting import criteria, Dr Gibbs claimed: “It’s not hard to meet the regulations — these are based on the common-sense idea that seed crops are carefully maintained.” He had been previously informed about unsuitable practices around fodder beet seed manufacture and management in southern Europe in various companies in recent years. In Europe certain companies contracted to multiply seeds had stronger policies around seed growing and paddock management while there were “cowboys” operating in other supply chains. “Some companies are really obsessive and monitor closely the crops grown. It’s really a point of difference,” said Dr Gibbs. Those established European seed companies had a track record with beet seed and its purity; some had been family businesses for generations. “What we are seeing now in Europe is more seed growers

entering the market, making seed essentially for commerce and so they don’t have the same drivers.” “This has been a black eye for the [arable] industry in New Zealand. Other kiwi seed companies have been drawn into this and it is damaging the reputation of beet here. The National Farming Review has learned there were significant issues with Kyros in the UK during 2014 to the extent it was no longer on the market there. A prominent English plant breeding company, which requested anonymity, confirmed Kyros was not in the marketplace there for the past two years. “The first year we were told there was a crop failure and the second year they could not supply due to quality problems.” As a result, the company was unlikely to resume using it in the future. There was no guarantee around quality [besides], “after two years other varieties had now taken its market share,” said a spokesperson. “It appears Kyros may have been imported here after it didn’t make the market in the UK due to quality issues, which is a grave concern when you consider the magnitude of what we are dealing with here. “It’s devastating really as fodder beet was a ‘step change’ in feed supply for our country’s farms. “A versatile feed, great in drought or winter, fodder beet is capable of consistent yields of 20-30 tonnes of dry matter per hectare,’ said Mr Wigley. “I doubt this will retard the march of fodder beet,” Dr Gibbs said. “MPI I’m sure will insist on more stringent border procedures. It will be better long-term.”

SEED COMPANY There are several main players in the New Zealand grains market. Fodder beet was reintroduced to NZ in 2004 by Seed Force, which continues to source their seeds from the RAGT group in France. Agricom is a prominent supplier that imports beet seeds from Florimond Desprez, while Cropmark sources seeds from another French entity Momont. Agricom’s Mark Brown said they had chosen the French company as they were established and shared the same values around crop husbandry. “From our experience, the French go over and above other producers when it comes to care and attention with hygiene and inspections.They have an extensive R&D fodder

beet breeding programme too,” he said. In France, sugar, vegetable and fodder beet are grown apart so there was less chance of a cross beet contamination, he said. Mr Brown didn’t want to be drawn or speculate on how contaminated seeds might have entered New Zealand via a European supplier but did express his surprise. “It’s hard to believe that when they were growing in the paddocks no one noticed anything was wrong. It would have been obvious.” There was the question of timeframes around the time of seeds germinating and being exported. Seed Force, Cropmark and Agricom sold seeds which were harvested at least a year in advance. “We have an established volume ahead, which means we’re not fighting the clock to satisfy demand,” he said. North Canterbury arable farmer Alan Harvey said there was a perception now within the industry that seeds were arriving in New Zealand before they were ready. “There’s talk of seed been harvested around July/August in Europe and imported here in time for sowing in October, which is essentially only six weeks,” he said.

MPI RESPONSE

The Ministry, MPI, has completed their first round of

WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW IN EUROPE IS MORE SEED GROWERS ENTERING THE MARKET, MAKING SEED ESSENTIALLY FOR COMMERCE AND SO THEY DON’T HAVE THE SAME DRIVERS. — DR JIM GIBBS Lincoln University

investigations. Response Incident Controller David Yard said “hundreds” had been involved in their search and destroy operations alongside 13 regional councils. The cost of the incursion was ‘significant’ and likely to run into millions. Mr Yard said the investigation would go beyond what DLF had imported

and it was possible other companies might also be involved. At this stage there were plans for a ‘hot’ debrief in the next few weeks when more information around the incursion and what happened would be discussed. MPI was confident of a localised elimination of Velvetleaf but a national eradication was less likely in the short to medium future. “It’s a mammoth task. If one weed flowers, it can generate 17,000 seeds,” said Mr Yard.

MPI BORDER CONTROL In recent weeks MPI has established two laboratories to sample pelleted seeds to reduce the risk of future fodder beet consignments that are contaminated entering the country. The process for screening pelleted seeds is around 48 hours for every five kilos and a Chief Technical Officer has since been appointed to oversee all documentation and testing results towards deciding border approval. Previously, pelleted seed was treated the same way as other imported seeds. Kathryn Hurr, MPI Manager, Plant Germplasm Imports, said the sampling of pelleted seeds was perhaps not large enough prior to the Velvetleaf incursion and MPI had since revisited their sampling process. “We are looking at how things are done in terms of how countries go about their seed certification,” she said. MPI was aware of the implications of more intensive border screening and would be avoiding heavy intervention. “It’s not ideal, and our emphasis will be off-shore and concentrated on what happens prior to palletising,” Ms Hurr. Ministry officials were heading to Europe around midJune to check beet fields to get a better understanding of weed control, machinery hygiene, crop husbandry and pelleting factories. The Kyros contamination in England, and that seed’s subsequent disappearance from the market there was news to MPI. Ms Hurr said larger orders of fodder beet as a result of excessive demand were “potentially the recipe for compromise in seed quality”. The question was whether contaminated fodder beet seeds were originating from one source or was it more widespread in Europe. There was no plan to ban Kyros seeds from New Zealand, apart from the lines which had been identified as contaminated. The new testing regime would pick up any such seeds and clearance would be refused. “We understand this will impact on the industry but are cognisant that farmers still want it. Sampling is always a challenge, but we are looking at x-ray technology which can reduce the risk of destructive testing and the threat of future incursions.”

Ph 0800 327 646 www.fedfarm.org.nz

June 2016 National Farming Review

VELVETLEAF

Farmers must take on role to stamp out Velvetleaf While there’s understandable discontent among farmers throughout the country as the full realisation of the impact of the Velvetleaf continues, the task of dealing with it lies not just with the Government but with farmers, writes Federated Farmers Arable Policy Advisor PHILIPPA RAWLINSON. The biosecurity response to velvetleaf continues with seed line varieties Feldherr and Troya 112 now identified in fodder beet crops. Since March, more than 250 farms throughout 11 regions have been identified as having paddock(s) with Velvetleaf in them. Farmers known to have planted Kyros 128, Bangor 126 and Bangor 079 were visited by MPI or regional councils and had paddocks inspected for the presence of Velvetleaf. Those who called the 0800 number suspecting they had Velvetleaf in their crops were also visited. The “urgent measures” phase seen around 800 farm inspections completed. Federated Farmers applauds the phenomenal amount of work undertaken by all involved in the response. To mitigate the spread of Velvetleaf, MPI together with industry stakeholders (Federated Farmers, Foundation of Arable Research, DairyNZ, PGG-W and AgResearch) developed a farm management plan. The advisory will be posted to all farmers who have had positive Velvetleaf finds on their properties and is available from www.mpi.govt.nz/protectionand-response/responding/alerts/ velvetleaf. Details recommended actions for: ■ Cleaning machinery before

moving it off farm to ensure no soil or plant matter remains visible that might spread pests or weeds; ■ Hold stock in quarantine paddocks prior to movement off farm and on farm where Velvetleaf is known to be; and ■ Specific feeding management plans for feeding any infected velvetleaf paddocks.

WHAT FARMERS CAN DO While holding paddocks for minimising the spread of plant pests is not common practice (more common to prevent the spread of worms and lice), in the case of limiting the spread of Velvetleaf it is vitally important, particularly if you plan on walking stock home from grazing where Velvetleaf is present. This is because any Velvetleaf seeds present in the soil can be moved via cow’s hooves, ingested and excreted by stock. The time taken to excrete Velvetleaf seeds is unknown, but best opinion suggests the majority will pass through within the first 12 to 24 hours after stock have finished on the infected paddocks. Farmers will need to take this into consideration when moving stock off the paddock or off the farm via trucks or walking them home from grazing.

MPI has set up two laboratories to test for imported contaminated beet seeds.

The Farm Management Plan also makes contingencies for suggested crops and to plant and methods of planting crops to give farmers the best opportunity of finding any Velvetleaf plants in the 2016/17 growing season. The recommendation for farmers is to plant annual crops that do not grow taller than one metre and can be sown early and harvested in December or January, crops such as cereal grains,

maize and forage brassicas are recommended. If farmers can learn anything from the Velvetleaf incursion, it should be having a heightened awareness of on-farm biosecurity to minimise the threat of the spread of other plant pests and diseases from one farm to another. One way is to develop an onfarm biosecurity plan, FAR chief executive Nick Pyke says.

“A farm biosecurity plan is relatively straightforward and should be in place for all farm businesses and cover a range of issues related to people and stock movement, machinery movement, the origins of inputs (such as brought in feed), plans for surveillance and monitoring and risk mitigation and management strategies”. One of the additional assurance measures farmers can undertake is to ask contractors, feed or seed suppliers if they can guarantee what you are purchasing is quality assured. As our Arable chair Guy Wigley says “you wouldn’t buy a house without getting a LIM or a builder’s report, so why purchase seed or grain without getting the appropriate quality assurances from retailers, merchants or other farmers?” Domestically grown supplementary feeds should all arrive with a domestic feed declaration form which details agrichemicals and other treatments used on crops for example. The arable industry meanwhile is a step forward to becoming a GIA Deed Signatory. Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group, FAR, the Feed Manufacturers Association, NZGSTA and New Zealand Flour Millers Association have agreed to form a new incorporated society (Seed + Grain Readiness and Response) which will be the GIA deed signatory for the arable industry. Federated Farmers will continue working with MPI to ensure that harmful pests and diseases do not cross the border and become a problem for farmers and other stakeholders. All farmers have a role to play in safeguarding the nation’s biosecurity response and management.

Depression

There is a way through it depression.org.nz/rural

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Feeling down in response to difﬁcult situations is pretty normal. But when life has no joy or pleasure for more than two weeks, this could be a sign of depression. You’re not alone. One in six New Zealanders will experience depression at some time in their life. Understanding more about depression can help you ﬁnd a way through. Join JK at depression.org.nz, or call the Depression Helpline 0800 111 757.

National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

Ph 0800 327 646

RMA REFORM

RMA bill negative for farmers By RICHARD GARDNER Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor The need for meaningful change to be made to the engine room of the RMA, its purpose and principles section, sometimes known as Part 2 is becoming urgent. It is becoming increasingly difficult to farm in the face of the increased demands that are placed on farmers by government agencies and society. These demands seek the protection of resources on private land, such as significant ecological areas and outstanding landscapes and features, from the effects of rural production. The demands are driven by this Part 2 engine. It is particularly disappointing that the Government has not proposed anything by way of reform to Part 2 in its latest round of RMA reforms, the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill. There is, for example, no proposal to include reference to property rights in section 6 of the RMA, and no proposal to expand the use values in section 7, by including explicit reference to the protection of the rural productive resource. Changes such as this would make it much simpler to do business in New Zealand, not just for the productive rural sector, but for those who want to do business in the urban sector as well. Federated Farmers set out what it wants from the RMA nearly 10 years ago, in its “six pack” of RMA proposals. Included were such things as compensation when land use is restricted, to protect nationally important values, and mandatory consultation when landowners are affected by provisions in a proposed planning instrument. Yet, despite this long-standing policy position, which is well known to government, the Bill proposes mandatory consultation with iwi authorities at all stages of preparation of a local authority plan, but no similar proposal for

THE CURRENT PROPOSALS ARE SEEN TO ELEVATE IWI ABOVE OTHER AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS, AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT ON FARMING INTERESTS. — RICHARD GARDNER

mandatory consultation with those who have a legal interest such as ownership in land which might be affected by what is proposed in such a plan. In its submission on the Bill, Federated Farmers accepted it is appropriate for to consultation to take place with iwi prior to policy statement or plan notification, but the submission did not support the move towards mandatory iwi participation beyond plan notification, without similar arrangements being made for mandatory consultation with other interest groups. The current proposals are seen to elevate iwi above other affected stakeholders, and have the potential to negatively impact on farming interests. There are two other proposals in the Bill that also have the potential to negatively impact on farming interests. The first is the

DISAPPOINTING: Government proposals for RMA reform have disappointed Federated Farmers. The proposed bill misses the mark and is likely to mean less opportunity for public input, local decision making, with an increase in process costs.

extent of the provisions for intervention by central government in matters which the RMA has delegated to local authorities. Many groups from across the political spectrum have expressed concern about these provisions, which are seen as excessively heavy handed. Nevertheless, some councils have overstepped the mark by stepping in to regulate matters already regulated at central government level. With the exception of the provisions that put a

stop to that, Federated Farmers opposed these proposals in the Bill. The provisions regulating livestock access to waterways are also excessive. Federated Farmers’ submission acknowledges that it is appropriate for there to be some regulation set at a national level, but says that livestock access to waterways is an example where regulation can best be managed at local level, with central government setting a minimum

standard, but leaving it to local councils to decide for themselves how best to meet that standard, taking into account the conditions in their local area. The Bill’s objective is to deliver substantive, system-wide improvements to the resource management system. Yet, on any reasoned analysis, the opposite will result, accompanied by a reduction in the opportunity for public input, local decision making and an increase in process costs.

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June 2016 National Farming Review

RMA REFORM

The politics of RMA reform By DAVID SEYMOUR The ACT Party When primary sector people talk politics, it usually doesn’t take long for the Resource Management Act to come up. City folk may have a vague notion that it exists and may have delayed their deck extension, but in the primary sector it’s second nature. The RMA actually affects us all. Economic pressure from Auckland’s dysfunctional housing market has pushed up interest rates for everybody. Kumara farmers in Dargaville pay for Dominion Road’s excesses through higher mortgage rates. That’s before we worry about the direct effects of RMA compliance on the primary sector. A Little History; The road to today’s RMA was paved with good intentions. While it was passed by the Bolger National Government in 1991, the groundwork was done by the Lange-Douglas Labour Government of the 1980s. It should belong with the Fisheries, Reserve Bank, Constitution, Education, State Sector

and Public Finance Acts — all world-class laws that no government has dared touch for a quarter century. The idea was that you could do whatever you like with your property, so long as the effects of your activity were judged to be sustainable. It was an enlightened attitude to replace multitudes of rigid rules with an open-ended ‘do unto others’ approach. Then things started going wrong. Councils needed to measure the effects of each activity, and that was more complex than making yes-or-no judgements according to specific rules. The number of planners

required to apply the new law mushroomed and, having colonised councils to help administer this new legislation, they got busy writing more and more complicated plans. The legislation itself talks about ‘intrinsic values of ecosystems,’ and ‘Kaitiakitanga.’ The words ‘inappropriate subdivision’ appears 156 times in the 900-page Act. There is nothing about property rights and surprisingly little about the science of conservation. Over 25 years, the Act has set the tone of resource management. Most council planners have no memory of life before the RMA. The Result: Today people can find the consenting process takes longer and costs more than the project they needed consent for. When they make a conservation effort on their own land, councils can deem the area to be an Outstanding Natural Landscape, effectively nationalising it. Other projects simply don’t go ahead for fear of regulatory costs. It’s difficult to estimate the true cost of compliance and lost

opportunity due to the RMA, but it is high enough to ensure nearly every political party talks about reform. We must return to first principles. The Act should start by saying: ‘Every person should be able to use their property as they see fit, unless one of the following apply.’ It should then list real, scientifically measurable impacts on the property of others, such reductions in biodiversity, chemical pollution of the air, water or soil, or noise and shading of others’ property. It should not take 900 pages to do this. Over time, this philosophy would change the culture of councils, from a dictating culture to an enabling culture. The payoff in terms of economic and conservation activity would be enormous. Sadly it is easier said than done. The Politics: The current Parliament has 121 seats, meaning legislation such as RMA reform requires 61 votes to pass. National has 59 votes and ACT has one, making 60 — not a majority. Our two parties are committed to RMA

reform (although I would argue National’s proposals are two steps forward, one step back). The problem is getting another vote to make 61. All the options have drawbacks. The Maori Party have exacted a high price for their support. They will not support reforming the Principles sections, but do require Iwi Participation Agreements to be made mandatory, creating yet another layer of people interfering in others’ private property. Peter Dunne of United Future is also intransigent on the Principles sections. Winston Peters has played a game of brinkmanship, offering John Key the votes, but that would come at a price. As Helen Clark and Jim Bolger before him found, doing a deal with Winston is deadly to a government and the economy. The last two times he held the balance of power interest rates rose to 11 per cent. Of course, but here’s something made true by process of elimination: The only way we’re going to get serious RMA reform is to wait until the 2017 election, and elect a National-led government with an ACT Party spine.

mpi.govt.nz/animal-welfare

MPI0228

seen livestock mistreated?

National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

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WEATHER

The atmosphere changes gear By GEORGINA GRIFFITHS MetService Meteorologist

FINALLY, A PATTERN CHANGE For the first three and a half months of 2016, highs prevailed over and to the east of the country. These highs produced prevailing northerly winds and abnormal warmth over New Zealand. From mid-April, we saw the first signs of change. The highs retreated to the northeast of the country, but initially maintained a degree of ridging over the North Island. This meant most fronts prior to the middle of May weakened as they came onto the North Island, and produced little in the way of rain. In contrast, frequent northwesterly winds affected the South Island from mid-April to mid-May, with some extraordinarily large rainfall totals observed along the West Coast. The atmosphere then changed gear dramatically for the last half of May, with very stormy and unsettled westerlies followed by a sharp change to a cold southerly regime.

THERE IS A SIGNAL FOR QUITE LARGE TEMPERATURE SWINGS DURING THE WINTER SEASON, MEANING WE MAY EXPERIENCE SOME UNUSUALLY COLD SOUTHERLIES — GEORGINA GRIFFITHS

the north of the country, and southern ocean storminess (the SAM), generally ‘take turns’ influencing what rain ends up on the farm. This means that we’re likely to see quite a bit of variation in the month-to-month patterns this winter — northwesterlies won’t constantly rule the roost. And as we move past winter, there is a solid chance (70 per cent) of La Nina development in the tropical Pacific.

AUTUMN DRYNESS Not surprisingly, many North Island regions and also the eastern South Island experienced an extremely dry autumn (until mid-May, when the atmosphere changed gear), due to the combination of high pressures followed up with northwesterly winds

WINTER OUTLOOK Looking ahead, frequent northwesterlies return to the South Island and lower North Island this winter (June to August). Above normal winter rainfall is signalled for western regions of the South Island, as well as for Southland, and also from Taranaki down to Wellington. A drier than usual winter is

GEAR CHANGE: Winter is here after a relatively warm and dry autumn. The outlook is for more normal rainfall but above average temperatures.

predicted for Northland. Elsewhere, winter rainfall looks fairly close to the norm. Above average winter temperatures, overall, are predicted by the long-range models, consistent with frequent northwesterly air streams and the

warmer seas currently in the Tasman Sea. However, there is a signal for quite large temperature swings during the winter season, meaning we may experience some unusually cold southerlies, too. That means winter

temperatures look challenging, and keeping up with the forecast will be essential. It pays to remember that in the short-term (weeks to months), various local weather patterns such as blocking highs, lows over the Tasman Sea or to

■ Keep up to date with our longrange commentary at www.metservice.com/rural/ monthly-outlook. If you sign up to be emailed the Monthly Outlook, you’ll also receive a variety of graphics, such as those shown in this article. MetService Meteorologists are also happy to answer farming questions on Twitter and Facebook. Find MetService New Zealand on Facebook and @metservice on Twitter.

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EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

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It doesn’t seem like it has been twelve months since the last Fieldays as it has been a busy year amidst a very unpredictable economy. Reid and Twiname have experienced substantial growth in GRAMMER seating and parts sales, due to increased market exposure, product awareness and support around the GRAMMER agency. We have now added another area manager to the Motor Body Hardware Division in the North Island and more time allocated to this area in the South Island. Reid and Twiname are sole New Zealand distributors for GRAMMER Seating Systems. This is an industry in itself that extends to being the OEM choice of seat in many of the major brands of tractors. These are currently or have in the past been fitted in tractor brands such as John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Case IH, Deutz Fahr, Landini, New Holland, Same, Valtra, Fendt and Claas. The GRAMMER seating range also includes turf care machinery, forkhoists, excavation and construction equipment, as well as bus and truck seats. Modern agriculture is becoming increasingly professional – while also placing ever-greater demands on machines and their operators. Suspended driver seats from GRAMMER provide optimal sitting comfort for any vehicle and application. Offering entry-level models with mechanical suspensions all the way to the state-of-the-art Maximo Evolution Active. For more than half a century GRAMMER seating systems have been setting one standard after another in terms of health and safety, comfort and health benefits. As a trendsetter and innovation leader, GRAMMER concentrate their efforts on the aspects of biomechanics, ergonomics, vibration absorption, and userfriendly operation with the goal of steadily improving the comfort of the end user. Reid and Twiname have noticed an ever increasing awareness by owners and operators as to the importance of providing the best seating possible for themselves and staff – as this is now treated as the office environment due to the hours spent in the seat of their tractor or heavy equipment. GRAMMER isn’t the cheapest solution at face value, but time and again proves the best solution when comfort, wellbeing and longevity are considered. Constantly we find owners buying cheaper seats hoping to save money and within a short period find that the new seat hasn’t held up to the rigors of New Zealand’s climate. Where a GRAMMER seat might have lasted 10 or 12 years with little maintenance, a cheaper seat might last a couple of seasons and is then up for replacement. Where down time is important, many have found it is good economics to stick with the original seat brand and can rest easy knowing it will stand up to the punishment that the seats are exposed to. Seat maintenance is not part of the service program for your tractor and in too many cases we find when expensive repairs or suspension replacements are required they could have been easily remedied by fitting a wear kit during one of the services which would have significantly extended the life of the seat. Reid and Twiname carry a good selection of common seats, suspension bases and parts to support the agricultural community. The range is growing as people become familiar with who we are. We would love to talk to you when you are at the Fieldays and ask you to call in to stand PA10 in the Pavilion.

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National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

Ph 0800 327 646

INDUSTRY

Branding Scotland’s products Federated Farmers’ Auckland Provincial President ANDREW MACLEAN was instrumental in developing and launching Scotland the Brand, originally a joint venture that eventually became a limited company. As Commercial Director he worked with partnering companies and organisations to deliver campaigns in the UK, Europe and North America over a six-year period. The origins of the “Scotland the Brand” campaign launched in the mid 1990s lay in a strategy to boost economic performance and export earnings. Industry leaders agreed this required the integration of scarce resources to maximise market opportunities. Arising from consumer research on buyer behaviour led by the University of Strathclyde, the central themes of activity involved leveraging the benefits of country of origin marketing techniques, such as promoting premium products as well as services originating in Scotland to drive improved returns, raise profile and create new market opportunities. Industry leaders were frustrated at the mediocre performance of primary export growth, lacklustre economic expansion over several decades, and the challenges in attracting high value inward investment. Levels of cooperation among export entities were poor, and valuable marketing resources (budgets, expertise and professionalism) were not being deployed to best effect. This was particularly evident among the major trade associations, primary sector bodies, government agencies and medium to large-sized companies. There was significant evidence of over-zealous internal competitive behaviour within Scotland’s export sectors versus energies being efficiently directed to grow international business and attract customers to purchase Scotland’s premium products and services. Considerable volumes of primary Scottish product were being commoditised and sold as product of the UK (or even England) and losing the valuable provenance that Scotland is known to possess.

VALUE EXPORTS: Industry leaders in Scotland adopted a pan sector and supply chain collaboration strategy to optimise primary sector export produce like venison.

This was particularly true of beef, lamb, venison, white fish, salmon and dairy products. Even the differentiation of Scotch whisky was under threat in some markets. Producer margins were being eroded and changing consumer demands for traceable proof of origin and food safety were being ignored. While the thrust of activity was directed at better use of marketing resources and new partnerships, significant changes in behaviour were a key objective.

These included pan-sector and supply chain collaboration, a fresh approach to packaging and labelling, marketing collateral, radical promotional initiatives and the desire to leverage country of origin as a powerful marketing tool. Senior captains of industry formed an advisory board to convince government to provide joint venture funding support in order to form a specialist marketing unit that could attract and convince industry to participate in integrated campaigns in key markets outside of Scotland —

notably England, France, Germany and markets in the USA. Government funding decreased over time as industry support increased — this included direct private sector financial contributions for participation in campaigns, staff secondments, product support, sponsored offices, flights, hotels and discounted services. Government funding averaged 50 per cent of total contributions, largely weighted towards start-up costs during the first five years.

NEED TO KNOW The drivers, objectives, and benefits included: ■ Realisation that country of origin is a powerful surrogate indicator of quality in the absence of consistently funded, and well recognised proprietary brands. ■ Changes in collaborative commercial behaviours are essential to use scarce resources to best effect and to seek out synergies between companies. ■ The need for improved communications and ultimately new partnerships among producers, industry and government participants involved in exporting products and services. ■ Recognition that differentiation and distinction of Scottish-branded product needed professional and dedicated management. ■ Creation of a commercial model allowing multiple companies to participate in international campaigns at a modest entry cost. ■ To gain maximum benefit from country of origin and integrated marketing campaigns, consistency of message/ themes/ and imagery is required. These need to be modified to meet the characteristics of individual markets. ■ Legacy benefits among the participating companies included renewed focus on sharing international market intelligence, commercial knowledge and export opportunities, significant changes in marketing strategies and tactics and enduring partnerships to deploy resources with maximum impact. ■ In-market profile and media coverage at a modest level of investment can be achieved by well orchestrated campaigns and leveraging high level relationships.

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June 2016 National Farming Review

INDUSTRY

Family’s bold integration THE FEEDLOTS ARE THE NERVE CENTRE OF ACHIEVING PRODUCT UNIFORMITY AS INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS CAN BE MONITORED AND FED AS REQUIRED TO MEET THE NUMBER REQUIREMENTS OF THE CUSTOMER.

by RICK POWDRELL Federated Farmers Board Member I recently had exposure to an Australian family business that has taken vertical integration of the supply chain to an impressive level. Excuse me for not stating the family or businesses, but the facts are in the model, not the people who have done it. The factor that really changed the future for this farming family business was when they took the bold move to purchase a slaughter facility. From owning farms and feedlot facilities they now had control of their processing. This plant came with its own challenges as it lies within the confines of a large city, thankfully on 40 hectares of land which does give it a buffer and has enabled expansion. Since purchase the plant has been modernised, making it fit

for purpose to meet not only the throughput requirements but also the environmental standards of operating in a city location. Not only was water treated after use but the air from within the plant was also scrubbed of odours. Being administered by a progressive team the company then identified the importance of producing high quality, safe and

— RICK POWDRELL

consistent products with special attention to uniformity. That focus is so important because of the fact this company has only one customer. All the main line cuts go to one outlet chain and the consumers of that chain require today’s steak to taste and look exactly like last week’s steak.

To achieve this they went back to the animal production factories, the farms and feedlot operations. They soon realised that consistency of product required consistency of genetics and feeding to grow a beef animal with likewise traits. Believe me when I saw a truck unit of these cattle being unloaded you could only describe them as peas in a pod. This company presently supplies 66 per cent of the processed cattle from their properties so to source the additional animals they contract to other farmers. These farmers will be using similar genetics and the cattle will then be fed through the family feedlot enterprise. The feedlots are the nerve centre of achieving product uniformity as individual animals can be monitored and fed as required to meet the number requirements of the customer. Having only one customer this

production line from farm to customer shop shelf has to function to strict number requirements on every given day. They cannot say we will be short of cattle in three weeks, they must supply. It is the full integration of the business from farm to market that allows this model to be successful. The control they have with the feedlots enables them to remove the variances of weather and feed supply that we all struggle with. In future they are endeavouring to secure more farms to reduce the risk of being dependent on other farmers and are prepared to enter into joint ventures with other entities, both local or foreign, to achieve it. Having control of all the variables in the value chain is the key element, but does require large amounts of capital. This capital element is the factor we continually struggle with in New Zealand. Good ideas never go anywhere without capital.

Farmers are fencing waterways By ANDREW HOGGARD Federated Farmers Industry Dairy Chair The second edition of the Sustainable Dairy Water Accord — Two years on…was published recently. It is pleasing to see that despite successive tough seasons, dairy farmers have stepped up and made significant progress on meeting their environmental commitments to New Zealanders. The audited report revealed 96 per cent of dairy cattle are fenced off from waterways on farms. That equals 25,656 kilometres of measured Accord waterways excluded from dairy cattle. Now many outside our industry might ridicule that stat, but the distance from my Manawatu farm to London is around 18,695km, and the circumference of the Earth is 40,075km. Then there’s the time factor. I reckon I could probably knock up 100 metres of a basic fence in around two hours — using my post rammer of course. Without the post rammer, it would be at least a good day’s work. So applying those numbers that entails 25,000km of fencing, meaning around 500,000 hours of work, or 57 years. But that’s just doing it the first time, because as we all know rivers flood, and when they do often your fences get seriously munted. After the 2004 Manawatu flood we had 10km of river fencing to resurrect, and many times since we’ve had smaller sections of fence get washed away and needing to be replaced, and the river bank replanted. You also need to ensure that weeds are kept down, otherwise they will grow over the fence, weigh it down and sap the power, and this can lead to some

THERE IS A WHOLE HEAP OF MAINTENANCE THAT GOES WITH KEEPING THE POWER UP, AND KEEPING THE WEEDS DOWN. — ANDREW HOGGARD

heifer getting curious and electing to see what is on the other side. So there is a whole heap of maintenance that goes with keeping the power up, and keeping the weeds down. It’s an ongoing job, and yet we have still managed to fence off 96 per cent waterways from dairy cattle, which really under sells the huge amount of work that this actually accounts for. I can’t wait for the day when we can say that we have 100 per cent. The Accord report not only highlights the fencing off of waterways but also covers effluent management where we have seen national levels of significant non-compliance for dairy effluent systems on farms dropping to their lowest ever, at

SUSTAINABLE POST: Dairy farmers are not shy when it comes to fencing their waterways. A recent industry audit confirms 96 per cent of dairy cattle are fenced of from waterways on farms in New Zealand.

5.8 per cent (down from 7 per cent in 2013-14).

When I look at the state of play of effluent systems

compared to farming back in the 90s, the technology we have now and the investment farmers have made in their effluent systems is streets ahead of what was in existence back then. In my province a decade ago non-compliance sat around 16 to 20 per cent, now it is around three per cent. That has come off the back of heavy investment in effluent infrastructure and an attitude change from dairy farmers that we need to do the right thing. Perhaps, the one stat out of the report that often gets least coverage and recognition is stock crossings. In that regard we now have 99 per cent of 42,773 regular stock crossing points on dairy farms that have bridges or culverts to protect local water quality. What is probably not recognised is where stock cross over waterways they will do more damage than if they were just wandering down for a drink. Having taken herds of cows across creeks and rivers in the past, it seems every single one of them feels the need to lift its tail as it makes it way across. These bridges aren’t cheap and added to that is the rather infuriating need for permits and consents to bridge a waterway. When you think the number of waterway crossings bridged for our country’s roading network is only around 15,600 according to Google, it’s less than half of what happens on dairy farms. Still it puts into perspective the amount of work that farmers have put in. Undoubtedly there will be numerous people who will jump up and down and say that isn’t enough or it isn’t fast enough. Well they are more than welcome to grab a shovel and start digging fence post holes for the remaining four per cent.

National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

Ph 0800 327 646

BIODIVERSITY

Putting the biodiversity back By KIM REILLY, Regional Policy Manager, South Island Over the past two years, Forest & Bird, the Environmental Defence Society and others, have significantly increased their focus on the biodiversity aspects of council plans. In Southland alone, the District Council and Regional Council’s Plan reviews have attracted more than 20 environment court appeals relating to biodiversity. In Otago, this trend towards biodiversity appeals looks set to continue. Elsewhere in the South Island, the Hurunui District Council, Mackenzie District Council, Tasman District Council, Christchurch City Council, West Coast Regional Council and others are also grappling with various biodiversity issues. So what is biodiversity? A quick trip to Google tells us that in layman’s terms, biodiversity is pretty much ‘the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact’. Yet in resource management terms, the term has taken on a much more narrow interpretation. An automatic assumption seems to be that when we talk ‘biodiversity’ we talk ‘indigenous biodiversity’, and more specifically, those matters captured within section 6(c) of the Resource Management Act, relating to significant indigenous vegetation and habitats of indigenous fauna. It’s now time to look instead at biodiversity as a whole. We need to put the diversity back into conversations relating to biodiversity. There are a wide range of values and living things that together contribute to New Zealand’s natural resources. As custodians of the land, farmers recognise and understand this. Yet, it is almost the fallback position of environmen-

TOO OFTEN WE SEE FARMLAND CLASSIFIED AS AN OUTSTANDING NATURAL LANDSCAPE, OR A SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AREA, WITH RULES THEN SLAPPED DOWN DECLARING THE VERY ACTIVITIES THAT CREATED WHAT IS SUBSEQUENTLY SO HIGHLY VALUED, TO BE ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ — KIM REILLY

tal organisations to assume that the very act of farming is the single biggest risk to biodiversity. We simply don’t agree. Too often we see farmland classified as an outstanding natural landscape, or a Significant Natural Area, with rules then slapped down declaring the very activities that created what is subsequently so highly valued, to be ‘inappropriate’. At best, this is nonsensical. Farmers live on the land and rely on the land. They generally have a far greater understanding of, and sense of responsibility for, indigenous flora and fauna than other people. With an approach of prohibitive consenting requirements, prosecutions or restrictions,

there is little to encourage farmers to continue to undertake the resource intensive and costly conservation work they do on their land, often simply for public good. There seems to be little acknowledgement that generally the land at issue is someone’s private land, not the conservation estate and that people should ask, not just take. A prime example of this attitude played out during Environment Court proceedings for Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of NZ Incorporated v Innes. In that case, rather than knock on the landowner’s door, Forest & Bird instead went

directly to the Environment Court, slapping down an injunction order preventing further farm work to be undertaken. While the court ruled in the landowner’s favour, costs to put end the action were significant. The whole case typified the overall lack of respect and failure to acknowledge the important role farmers have to play in the sustainable management of land. The way forward should not be through rules, consents and prosecutions. We need to find ways to include the landowner, and to further incentivise the planting, restoration or regeneration of sites. One such way forward may be

through collaborative approaches and financial contributions, such as that taken by the Mackenzie Agreement Working Group (MAWG) in Canterbury. There the focus is on the goal of protecting the iconic landscapes and biodiversity of the Mackenzie Basin, while providing appropriate acknowledgement and compensation to both the physical costs and opportunity costs that fall on private landowners in achieving this. It is together, that the solution lies. Both in the approach taken to such matters, and in what falls within our vision of what is biodiversity.

Ph 0800 327 646 www.fedfarm.org.nz

June 2016 National Farming Review

FARM TRANSPORT

Streamlined licence good for farmers By NICK HANSON Senior Policy Advisor Changes are afoot for New Zealand’s graduated drivers’ licensing system after the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ministry of Transport released a review of drivers’ licences for consultation. This discussion paper has been eagerly awaited since the intention to review the licence system was announced by the Transport Minster in 2014. Since that time the scope of the review has been narrowed somewhat and while many expected a debate on the driving age and measures to address the extremely high fail rates among only test takers, the final discussion paper proposes three changes that are significant for farmers. In an effort to make dealing with the government easier much of what is required to apply for and renew a licence will move online, reducing the number of times that a person has to go into a licence centre. To do this the Government has had to address the current need for every person

THERE IS ARGUMENT FROM THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY AND FARMING THAT THE COST AND TIME TAKEN TO ADVANCE TO CLASS 5 IS PROHIBITIVE. — NICK HANSON

getting their first licence, a new class of licence or renewing a licence to get a vision test.

The preferred option significantly reduces the number of eye tests that would be required, with only first time licence applicants required to have their vision tested. Many farmers will have a wheels, tracks or rollers endorsement on their licence to allow

them to drive various types of heavy vehicles on the road. The discussion document argues the need for employers to ensure that all of their staff and themselves are adequately trained in all the work they do introduced by the Health and Safety at Work Act, this is now a

duplication. The preferred option of the agency is to remove the need for endorsements on licences. Last, the proposed significant changes to the Graduated Driver Licence System which makes younger drivers spend significant amounts of time at each class of licence before attaining a class 5 licence, which enables them to operate the heaviest machinery. There is argument from the transport industry and farming that the cost and time taken to advance to Class 5 is prohibitive and is making it difficult to find adequate staff. Statistics show a significant challenge in recruiting qualified heavy vehicle operators across New Zealand. Federated Farmers is consulting its membership on the proposed changes and will be submitting in conjunction with the Agriculture Transport Forum. Any effort to streamline the process of obtaining an upgraded licence class will likely be welcome by farmers who are both direct and indirect beneficiaries of efficiencies in this area.

Farmers wary of spreading imported weeds By RICK POWDRELL Federated Farmers’ Board member One category of plants that certainly thrives in New Zealand is weeds. The alarming fact is the majority of these weeds are not native to New Zealand. Early settlers brought them with the intention of using them the way they did in their country of origin. Gorse and barberry were used for hedging, serving a similar purpose as in the homeland. However, once resident in New Zealand many grew far more prolifically and eventually spread beyond their intended boundaries. As time has passed increasing

numbers of weeds have been introduced, many unknowingly while others carried amongst deliberately imported crop seed. New Zealand’s abundant bird population also accelerated the spread of seed to areas beyond farmers control and with the clearing of native bush and other ground cover seed beds were readily available for germination. Through my lifetime on my property our main weed problem has been thistles, in the early years mainly scotch thistles, then wing thistle and finally the nodding thistle. I remember a so called expert telling me 30 years ago the life of a nodding thistle seed in the ground was only seven years but we all know now that is a myth. Despite having good popu-

lations of biological weevils assisting in the fight, given the right conditions old seed readily germinates. In recent years we have seen the appearance of a number of weed species that are more invasive and unpalatable to stock like black needle grass, bristle grass and lately velvetleaf. Often with grass weeds they are undetectable to the untrained eye until they produce a seed head at which stage it is too late. We need to be real here and admit the bulk of us do not have a trained eye to pick these grasses in their early growth stage. Couple this with the possibility of the paddock being harvested and now the seed is on its way to a new home. Most weeds are spread by a

number of carriers such as wind, birds, animals, machinery and harvested feed. It upsets me to see bristle grass in full head on the roadside, then being mown by the roadside mower to be washed down the water table and eventually into a paddock. As well as this the roadside mower will be carrying seed to deposit as it bumps its way around the district’s roadsides. One of the most important measures that can be observed for reducing the spread of existing weeds is cleaning of machinery. Sadly many of our industry are lax in this area and until we address this issue weeds will continue to be spread from one property to another.

Once a weed is established it is extremely hard to eradicate hence the importance of strong biosecurity measures to avoid initial importation and vigilance to detect any infestations. As the world becomes a closer global market the risks increase, imports from anywhere in the world are a reality and the numbers of individuals travelling grows also. We are all potential carriers of seed on returning to New Zealand if we don’t clean our belongings and declare our movements to border security honestly. On the back of recent weed incursions the Ministry for Primary Industries is working with the primary sector to examine procedures for all aspects of any imports that could pose a risk.

Guys, it’s time to stand up for your health More New Zealand men get cancer and die from cancer than women. We want Kiwi men to live healthier lives and celebrate more birthdays with their family and friends. Come and see us at site LS20-21 at Fieldays and pedal your way to a free smoothie on our cycle blenders. While you’re there, have a chat to us about what to look out for, how to reduce your risk and when a visit to the doctor is a must. It could save your life.

Come and see us at Fieldays! For more information on men’s health visit www.getthetools.org.nz, www.cancernz.org.nz or call 0800 22 77 44

National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

Ph 0800 327 646

INDUSTRY

Buzz over for Feds’ bees group By Philippa Rawlinson Federated Farmers Bees Advisor After 14 years representing the interests of New Zealand’s beekeepers the curtain comes down on Federated Farmers Bee Industry Group. Our bees’ group is being disestablished this month following the apiculture industry reunification. Throughout our existence we’ve had some thoroughly enjoyable and educational conferences from Christchurch, Ashburton, Twizel, Queenstown, Taupo and Rotorua. Alongside the completion of the industry unification, perhaps the greatest achievement of the group has been its role in the Trees for Bees campaign established alongside the Sustainable Farming Fund. The idea was to ensure bees have the opportunity to gather quality pollen and nectar, as well as raising the awareness amongst farmers and other stakeholders of the importance of bees to the primary industry. The important work of the Federation’s industry group and the National Beekeepers Association (NBA) goes on under the auspices of Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ). ApiNZ includes commercial and hobbyist beekeepers, domestic and export packers, marketers and those engaged in the health products industry. Their mission is to support and deliver benefit to all those in the apiculture industry, by creating a positive industry profile and business environment providing opportunities for members. ApiNZ already has in development products tailored to the specific needs of the indus-

THEIR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT AND DELIVER BENEFIT TO ALL THOSE IN THE APICULTURE INDUSTRY.

— PHILIPPA RAWLINSON

try. For example, health and safety programmes, employment compliance products and has recently signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to address some of the problems the industry has in sourcing labour. Looking to build on Feds’ bee industry group, ApiNZ will also aspire to bolster the 103 year old legacy that the National Beekeepers Association (NBA) has established. To do this the organisation needs support of members. Federated Farmers encourages all our industry group members and others from the apiculture industry to join ApiNZ to access these benefits and get involved with the group.

BEEING BOLDER: After 14 years of promoting the interests of beekeepers, Federated Farmers Bees Group will be wound down later this month. They will join forces with the wider industry and beekeepers under the umbrella of ApicultureNZ (ApiNZ).

Give Pauline and the friendly team at ApiNZ a call today to join 04 471 6254 or check out the website www.apinz.org.nz/

shop. Federated Farmers’ Bee Industry Group winds down at the Rotorua Events Centre on

Wednesday June 22. We encourage all industry members to attend and participate in the final AGM.

Federated Farmers is urging employers to ensure they are up to speed with employment requirements. This is especially relevant for dairy farmers with the impending arrival of the new season.

Check your employment agreement Federated Farmers is receiving feedback through the member employment helpline that employers are still grappling with some of the critical aspects of employing new staff — including the implementation of effective 90 day trial periods and what type of employment agreement to put a new employee on.

90 DAY TRIAL PERIODS For a 90 day trial period to be valid the employment agreement must be signed before an employee starts work. If an employee has worked for you in past, has worked for even one hour or does anything that adds value to the business (for example a trial milking) prior to signing the employment agreement, there can be no valid 90 day

BECAUSE THE TRIAL PERIOD LEGISLATION REMOVES IMPORTANT PROTECTIONS AND RIGHTS FROM EMPLOYEES, THE PROVISIONS ARE INTERPRETED STRICTLY. 90 DAY TRIAL PERIODS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES. — KATE WILLS

trial period. Kate Wills, a solicitor at DLA Piper, states that because the

trial period legislation removes important protections and rights from employees, the provisions are interpreted strictly. 90 day trial periods are only available for new employees. Employees who work before they sign their employment agreement will not be ‘new’. If an employer dismisses an employee under an invalid 90 day trial period the employee will not be prevented from raising a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal.

TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS

It is equally important that employees are on the right type of employment agreement to ensure that employers are meeting the

relevant obligations. Employers are legally required to have written employment agreements with all employees, even casuals. Employment relationships are more often than not, permanent. However, in limited circumstances, an employee may be employed under a fixed term employment agreement, but only where there is a genuine business reason to limit the term of employment. A genuine business reason could include the need to temporarily replace another employee for a fixed period (for example while on leave or off work on ACC), or if the farming business has a specified duration, such as with contract milking arrangements. Casual employment agreements can only be used

where work is intermittent and irregular, with no expectation of continuing work or any obligation to provide work on a consistent basis. Federated Farmers spokesperson Nick Hanson states that some of these requirements have been in place for a while now but it can be hard for small businesses to keep on top of their requirements. If you have any need for further clarity then you should consult with an employment lawyer or with the employment helpline (0800 FARMING) if you are a Feds member. It is important to be mindful of recent legislative changes pertaining to parental leave and secondary employment, all of which are catered for within Federated Farmers’ revised employment agreements.

Ph 0800 327 646 www.fedfarm.org.nz

June 2016 National Farming Review

DAIRY

What leadership means to us By MICHAEL and SUSIE WOODWARD On our farm, leadership is not something we talk about, it’s just something we do. We are passionate about the dairy industry and for us that passion is what leadership is all about. It is easy to follow a leader who is passionate about what they do. They ignite a spark within you and continue to add fuel to your fire to be the best you can be. We have been fortunate enough to be involved with great leaders in our journey so far. These people have shown us what is possible, have provided us with the tools to succeed and have always led by example.

BY APPLYING BASIC LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES, INFORMATION SHARING AND PROVIDING THE REQUIRED TOOLS TO DO THE JOB, WE CAN FIND THE BALANCE THAT OUR TEAM MEMBERS REQUIRE TO STAY MOTIVATED, ENGAGED AND SUCCESSFUL.

Our farm team consists of five full time staff plus ourselves. Together we milk 1000 cows for Purata Farming Ltd. The farm is located in Dunsandel, Canterbury and is fully irrigated with planned start of calving August 1. We can’t do what we do successfully without our team. Simon Sinek, a motivational speaker is quoted as saying, “The courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though you bear the responsibility for getting things done.” We are employed on the farm as the sharemilkers. However, if we made every decision on the farm, two things would happen. One, our team would eventually leave us for not

PASSION TO LEAD: Michael and Susie Woodward took out the 2016 Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Leadership Award at the recent NZDIA ceremony in Wellington.

being challenged and not having any say. And two, we would burn ourselves out! By applying basic leadership principles, information sharing and providing the required tools to do the job, we can find the balance that our team members require to stay motivated, engaged and successful. Leadership appears in many different forms. You don’t have to be the face of a business or team to be considered a leader within that team. We emphasise this on our

farm in an effort to empower our team to take responsibility and raise their expectations. As a result, we have a team that is more engaged in what they’re doing and they question the “why” and “how” we do things to ensure the job is completed to a high standard. It is a passion of ours to help close the urban-rural divide. In doing so, we must lead by example and help promote best on farm practice to the public at all times. One way we do this is through

bringing school children to the farm and showing them what we do. We are not only teaching the children about where their milk comes from, we are also educating their parents and teachers about the positive things we do on farm. It only takes one bad message in the media to give farming a bad reputation. But if those school children can take back a message each to their friends and family about the good things we are doing then they will be less likely to believe what they see in the media. It is

small gestures like this that can add up to a big win for agriculture if more people get involved. The need for leaders in agriculture will never diminish. If we sit back and expect somebody else to do the job for us, we will be dictated to by the general public based on their perceptions. While we have an industry body like Federated Farmers advocating for us, it is still up to us to lead by example on our farms and strive to be better tomorrow than we are today.

Fieldays shines spotlight on science, innovation By LISA HARPER Federated Farmers Regional Policy Advisor With Fieldays here, the importance of innovation and science to the future of agriculture comes to the fore. Fieldays is a platform to show off the ongoing evolution of modern farming. It’s also part of a system of innovation and research that supports the primary sector. A significant component of New Zealand’s international competitive advantage is based on the primary sector’s ability to

access strong technology pipelines, underpinned by good scientific research and innovation. Our farmers depend on this steady stream of new knowledge to keep them up-to-date in global markets, or better still a nose ahead. It’s always been that way. The history of commercial rye grass endophytes is just one example of what can be achieved. In the 1980s and 90s, kiwi scientists worked to eliminate the disease known as ‘staggers’, caused by animals eating toxic compounds produced by natural fungi (endophytes) that colonise rye grass plants.

In the process, they found endophytes were critical to rye grass survival in pasture. After years of work, this knowledge was turned into one of New Zealand agriculture’s most important success stories. Beneficial endophytes now contribute some $200 million to our economy every year. But success never happens by accident. It takes the right infrastructure, people and funding. With this in mind, Federated Farmers advocates for a science system that works for farmers. Scientists and farmers agree there remain a range of weaknesses in our system, from an

SUCCESS NEVER HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT. IT TAKES THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE, PEOPLE AND FUNDING. WITH THIS IN MIND, FEDERATED FARMERS ADVOCATES FOR A SCIENCE SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR FARMERS. historic lack of attention to soil science and research to support

hill country farming (thankfully both areas now gaining traction), to much overdue reform of the HSNO Act. The Act is an important regulatory instrument designed to protect our biosecurity, but scientists report that (for whatever reason) no new plant species of agronomic value has been imported since the Act came in nearly twenty years ago. This has become a major hurdle to research on new pasture options. Despite some challenges, New Zealand’s innovation and science system has done us proud in the past. Our task now is to make sure it stays that way.

Schools / Colleges

Garin College’s new principal to arrive John Maguire will join Garin College as its new Principal in June. John brings with him valuable experience in teaching and leading in Catholic Education. Pastoral care is at the core of John’s leadership and practice. He looks forward to bringing new skills and vision to grow Garin College, raise achievement and engagement for all students while promoting a safe student-centred learning environment — a place where students NEW HEAD: John Maguire takes on the role of principal at encounter Jesus, have a Garin College this month. love of learning and a true sense of belonging to a Catholic faith environment that foster a experience in partnering with business and the wider community. great sense of family and “I recognise the belonging for all the community to enhance significant value the boarders. I look forward to learning outcomes for students. boarding student my involvement with the John will join the Garin community adds to the boarding hostels.” make-up of Garin College” Mr Maguire is an Community with his wife said Mr Maguire. “I see the innovative and strategic Lou. They are looking forward to college life. hostels as a unique thinker with significant

Garin College

Small School, Big Heart Garin College is a co-educational Catholic College with boarding facilities for boys and girls based in Richmond, Nelson.

Why choose Garin College

• Small community based Catholic College • Modern facilities in beautiful grounds • A safe and caring environment • Family style hostel • Fantastic results for all students, NCEA, Rock Quest, Stage Challenge, Sports, Outdoor adventure and more While Nelson provides all the advantages of living in a city, Garin College delivers all the beneﬁts of attending a small school, and living in our boutique hostels with space for only 28 boys and 28 girls from year 9 to 13, you can know your child will be cared for as they move from home for their secondary education. Our boarders are active, involved teenagers who thrive in the environment of the hostel. To ﬁnd out more about boarding contact Robert Booth on 0276544835, e-mail robertbooth@cloud.garincollege.ac.nz or visit our website.

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Affordable excellence Nelson College for Girls offers high quality, affordable education for young women in a very supportive environment. Our boarding hostel, Clarice Johnstone House, is a very important part of this. It offers excellent accommodation for up to 150 students, from New Zealand and overseas. This accommodation provides quality for our young women but is priced competitively. For many of our boarders, there are significant opportunities for them to be involved in sporting and cultural activities that would not otherwise be available to them. Our boarding students are part of a very large family, proactively supported by our senior students through a wide variety of student led activities. Nelson College for Girls has a strong house system and all of our boarders are members of the same house, Whangamoa. They are passionate participants in all house activities in the school and revel in the ‘‘purple’’ house succeeding well. Our Year 9 – 12 students live in Clarice Johnstone House while our Year 13 students are in the Levels building. This modern accommodation provides

them with a more independent living experience, while still ensuring our most senior students play a pivotal role in creating the family atmosphere of the boarding community. Our boarders enjoy academic success, make lifelong friendships and enjoy strong connections within the school and its community. Many of our boarders join in

activities such as sporting clubs, choirs, jazz bands and some take part in drama productions in the strong local theatre companies. These are wonderful opportunities for them. ■ For more information please contact Jo Purcell on 03 548 1332 Email: jo.purcell@ncg.school.nz or visit our website www.ncg.school.nz/ boarding.

Schools / Colleges

Make the most of meeting a teacher Schools regularly hold parent-teacher interviews to update you on how your son or daughter is doing. In spite of the name, these aren’t really interviews — they’re more like a two-way discussion. Here are some ways you can get the most out of them. BEFORE MEETING THE TEACHER: You’ll probably only get 10-15 minutes with the teacher and only 5-10 minutes if your son or daughter is at secondary school, so it’s worth taking some time to prepare beforehand. Read any recent school reports before you go to the meeting and write down any questions you have. Always put the most important questions at the top of your list, so you make the most of your time at the meeting. Talk to your son or daughter about how they feel about school and anything that they are particularly enjoying or finding too easy or too difficult. Ask them if there’s anything they might want you to talk about with the teacher. In some schools, students are welcome to attend and may even lead the interview. If you want your son or daughter to attend the meeting with you, check that it is okay with the school. If you can’t go along on the day the school has arranged, or you think you might need more time with the teacher, contact the school and make another appointment. AT THE INTERVIEW: Try to get there early, so that you have time to find the room where the interviews are being held.

Take a pen to write notes, in case you want to talk to your child or someone else about what was discussed with the teacher. If your child is at secondary school remember that the teachers will speak with a lot of parents that night. So, if it’s the first time you have met the teacher, introduce yourself and let them know who your child is. AFTER THE INTERVIEW: Even if your child or teen doesn’t ask, they’ll probably be keen to hear what you talked to the teacher about. Share the positive things that the teacher said and give them plenty of praise. Then talk about anything the teacher suggested you could do at home to help them. If you didn’t agree with something that the teacher said, it is better to stay positive about the teachers or the school in front of your child. If you have serious concerns about anything that was discussed, you should arrange a separate appointment with the school to talk about this further. Remember that you don’t have to wait for a parent teacher interview — you can ring the school and make an appointment to talk to the teacher at any time. — Source: minedu.govt.nz

Boarding with a big difference

Are you looking for something different in Year 12/13 next year?

Cromwell College, set in the heart of Central Otago, offers an educational opportunity that will ensure an memorable end to your secondary schooling. Gain your NCEA while experience an exciting outdoor programme and developing valuable life skills. Our outdoor Pursuits Academy covers tramping, mountain biking, rock climbing, adventure racing and of course snowboarding and skiing all with skilled qualiﬁed instructors. Students live in the Cromwell College Apartments and are part of our Life Skills Programme. This offers independent living for up to twenty Year 12 and 13 students and provides an ideal stepping stone to further study or employment. Make 2017 a school year to remember! Application packs are available through our website www.cromwell.school.nz or for more information contact The Principal 03 445 1121

Professional skills for Primary Industries EIT’s wide range of agriculture, horticulture and forestry programmes combine hands-on learning with flexible study options. Our certificates provide practical learning for school leavers through to lifestylers, or enrol in one of our diploma programmes which provide essential theory and real-world practical experience. Our apprenticeship and management programmes allow you to work in the industry and take your career to the next level at the same time. You’ll be supported by expert tutors who are here for you, within an environment where you’re treated as an individual, not just a number. Study on-farm or at our well-equipped campuses in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti (Gisborne).

ENROL NOW FOR A JULY START THE EXPERIENCE YOU NEED & THE SUPPORT TO SUCCEED 0800 22 55 348 | eit.ac.nz

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June 2016 National Farming Review

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June 2016 National Farming Review

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National Farming Review

June 2016 www.fedfarm.org.nz

Ph 0800 327 646

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local elections on the horizon By AMANDA VAISIGANO

With local authority elections coming up in October, Federated Farmers is urging farmers to get engaged and involved. Federated Farmers local government spokesperson, Katie Milne, says local government elections are vitally important for farming on many levels, and is encouraging farmers to make their voices heard. “It is absolutely crucial that farmers get involved in holding their councils to account. This includes being engaged on the issues and when the time comes make an informed vote. “It’s also important that we get good candidates, including farmers and other businessminded people, to stand for election,” she says.

“It’s a challenging role but farmers can make a real difference on councils as it enables them to inform and educate their colleagues about what happens on-farm — which is crucial for getting sensible, workable outcomes.” Ms Milne says that the way local government is funded, through property value based rates, has a big impact on farms financial viability. “The average farm now pays well over $10,000 per year in rates and rates are often in the top half dozen farm expenses. As a fixed cost there is no way for farms to cut back, short of selling up, during downturns like the current one in the dairy industry,” she says. Ms Milne says that one of the most important council functions is to manage natural resources, including water, land and air.

GET VOTING: Farmers should be thinking about the upcoming local government elections says Katie Milne.

“The development and implementation of regional plans

and policies can and does have huge impacts on the way farms

are run.” “Farmers are also exposed to other council regulation like building and dog control — and bylaws for things like stock crossings and stock movement across and along roads. “Councils also provide infrastructure and services of value for farmers and for the rest of the community. Roads are especially important for farms,” she says. For those interested in putting themselves forward, Local Government NZ has a guide for candidates. It has also launched a campaign to boost flagging voter turnout. Federated Farmers will also be producing a local elections manifesto on the key issues farmers and candidates should be thinking about. “So farmers, it’s time to get involved and get interested — make sure you don’t leave it too late!” says Ms Milne.

Connecting rural New Zealand to the world Kiwis across the country have a voracious appetite for better, faster internet speeds. To put this demand into perspective, we are now consuming more data in a month than we did in an entire year 15 years ago. Demand for better and faster services in rural New Zealand is precisely why in 2011 Vodafone — in partnership with the Government and Chorus — began to extend its network of cell sites to improve mobile coverage and provide super-fast wireless broadband in hard to reach places The Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) is all about enabling more kiwis to advance business, education and quality of life through investment in telecommunications infrastructure. In five years, huge gains have been made on this front. Today more than 75 per cent of kiwis have access to high speed rural wireless broadband that is capable of delivering speeds on par with — and sometimes higher —

than those experienced in some urban centres. Vodafone’s mobile network — which delivers both mobile and wireless broadband services — now stretches to more than 98 per cent of Kiwis. When the RBI build programme wraps up later this year, more than 290,000 rural homes and businesses will be benefiting from extended mobile coverage, and will have the option to switch to high-speed wireless broadband technology. Wireless broadband Waikato farmer Chris Lewis says running the family farm is a

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totally different experience since having rural wireless broadband installed. “It’s given me the ability to communicate with our suppliers in Hamilton and run business applications from the paddock,” he said. “My phone is just as important as my gumboots these days — I’m contactable anywhere on the farm thanks to Vodafone. “It’s great for the family as well and our kids are seeing the benefits first hand. They can keep in regular contact with us so we know they’re safe, they can catch up with their mates through social networking and do things like stream content on demand,” Mr Lewis said. Rural wireless broadband works by using Vodafone’s leading mobile network to deliver mobile and broadband services into the home, business or farm. If your property is within the reach of a wireless broadband signal from a nearby cell site, a Vodafone technician can simply set you up and optimise the

wireless broadband signal with an antennae. Alternatively if you are close to a cell site you can opt for a plug and play modem via a Vodafone retail store. Today there are 200 rural cell sites providing super-fast 4G access to thousands of rural properties across the country. Some people are even experiencing speeds in excess of 100Mbps — on a par with fibre UFB (ultra-fast broadband). People within reach of 3G rural wireless broadband can receive speeds up to 20Mbps, which is on a par with or faster than many urban centres across New Zealand. Like many types of broadband technology, external factors will influence the upload and download speeds you can get over rural wireless broadband. This is why Vodafone is constantly investing in new ways to make this technology go further and faster. It is also why Vodafone has specially trained local rural specialists in its stores

Contract Milking Agreement · More detailed and in a logical order · Spells out who does what and who pays for it · Requires a conversation up front on matters such as the farm policy and feed covers · Health & Safety and drug and alcohol policy requirements clear · Failure to care for the herd properly can lead to the contract ending.

to help ensure rural customers get the best possible coverage solution where it matters most — your place. From Te Kao in the far north to Stewart Island in the south — find out if your home, farm or business is capable of switching to rural wireless broadband by visiting www.vodafone.co.nz/network/rural. Or pop in for a chat with a rural specialist at your local Vodafone store. Vodafone at Fieldays As the 2016 Fieldays innovation and technology partner, Vodafone will showcase the best in innovation from some of the country’s leading entrepreneurs, and world-leading mobile and broadband coverage solutions and services for rural businesses. “Connectivity is playing a central role in the transformation of our rural industry, and we’re passionate about helping agri businesses find the best technology and coverage solutions to boost productivity,” said Vodafone’s Chief Executive Officer Russell Stanners.

CONTRACTS DEVELOPED BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS. FORWARD THINKING

Ph 0800 327 646 www.fedfarm.org.nz

June 2016 National Farming Review

INSIDER

Parliament Political briefs

■ As at 20 May, a number of Bills relevant to farming were before Parliament, at various stages. For example: ■ Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Amendment Bill; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. ■ Civil Defence Emergency Management Amendment Bill; Government Administration Committee ■ Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill; Primary Production Committee. ■ Resource Legislation Amendment Bill, Local Government & Environment Committee ■ Minimum Wage (Contractor Remuneration) Amendment Bill, Transport & Industrial Relations Committee ■ Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months Paid Leave and Work Contract Hours) Amendment Bill, Second Reading ■ Regulatory Standards Bill, Second Reading

News shortcuts

■ Earthquake-Prone Buildings: The Building Act (Earthquake-Prone Buildings) Amendment Bill was passed and enacted last month. The Bill, which takes a risk-based approach to identifying earthquake-prone building, initially included farm buildings in its coverage which would have required farmers to get engineer’s assessments for their buildings despite their very low risk to public safety. After advocacy from Federated Farmers the Government agreed to exempt farm buildings from the Bill’s coverage so saving farmers at least $3,000 each in engineers’ fees and $170 million across the primary sector. ■ TPP a Step Closer: Legislation to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement has been referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. The Committee has also completed its examination for the TransPacific Partnership Agreement and has reported back to Parliament. Federated Farmers submitted strongly in support of TPP. ■ Tax Changes Coming: The Government has announced changes to busi-

THE OFFAL PIT

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Caught line and sinker The academics at Otago will be stoked with their efforts to bring down one of the world’s most sustainable fisheries and probably a few pointy head’s careers at MPI. The fisheries part of MPI has a great big stink hanging over it. The seafood industry body will take a slap in the face with a frozen tuna as they came out swinging stating that the data had been misread and used incorrectly. Talk about pouring petrol onto a fire, insulting an academic about use of data while referencing other academic studies! The rest of us should be worried because what else have MPI got covered up! Operation Achilles was a pretty poor choice of words in hindsight because it highlighted the Achilles heel of the fisheries industry. So what happened? MPI have been trialing the use of cameras on fishing boats rather than paying for people observers. The idea was to get a handle on a couple of things. Are fisherman dumping less valuable bycatch overboard and is new technology in trawling and nets that is designed to stop catching dolphins, seals and sea lions working. The operation was a huge success because it discovered there was illegal catch dumping and that nets weren’t working as planned as they were catching too many seals, apparently there are heaps and some hector dolphins too. So the trials caught the fishermen with their pants down literally and a decision was made to bury the report. Well we all know how much the old bit of fish bait stinks when left in the tackle box and at some point the leaking smell stinks so much that you have to do something about it. So someone leaked it, and good on ness taxation targeted at small businesses. The most significant change is that from April 2018 provisional tax will have a new pay-as-you-go option

THE CATCHER AND MPI: You never know what you’ll find when you go fishing-sometimes you can cast your net too far and end up with more than a big stink.

them. We have a great sustainable fishery and hiding the bad stuff doesn’t do anyone any favours, especially the those playing by the rules. It is the same for the dairy and sheep industry. When it was found there were some bad eggs dealing with calves terribly, industry changed its practices which all farmers have to follow. MPI meanwhile has had a stinker… caught line and sinker – with fishing issues and biosecurity leaks all over the country. The litany of failures is becoming a dossier; PSA, velvetleaf, blackgrass, fruit flies and staff that don’t have the resources or time to check risky things. One day the really bad one might turn up. Farmers need to know that MPI haven’t got any gaping holes in their net. ■ The Offal Pit is a contributed column and does not reflect the views or policies of Federated Farmers. allowing 110,000 small businesses to pay tax as they earn income. Use-of-money interest will also be eliminated or reduced for the vast majority of tax-

This month we are giving away a ‘winter heart warmer ‘, Craig Bullock’s A dog’s life. This is a beautifully illustrated book which celebrates everyday New Zealand dogs. The author, who has been photographing dogs for 15 years, travels the length and breadth of the country to find the coolest canines. To win a copy, email your name, address and phone number to competitions @fedfarm.org.nz

payers. ■ $303 million for Fire Merger: The Government has announced that $303 will be set aside to fund the merger of urban and rural fire services into a new organisation Fire and Emergency NZ. The Fire Levy will be the main source of funding for the new organisation but there will also be a Crown contribution for public good non-fire activities.

Change of guard

Chas Todhunter has stood down after three years as Federated Farmers High Country Chairperson. The new Chairman is Simon Williamson, of Glenbrook Station, Omarama. Rob Stokes of Lees Valley in North Canterbury steps into to fill Simon’s previous role has vice Chair.

National conference

This year’s Conference and Industry AGMs are in Wellington from Monday, June 27 closing Wednesday, June 29. The Conference keynote speaker is Sir Peter Gluckman with MPI minister Nathan Guy opening Tuesday’s plenary session from 1pm. Dr William Rolleston will address the Conference later in the day.

FEDS PEOPLE ANDREW MACLEAN Federated Farmers Auckland Provincial President

Andrew succeeded outgoing president Wendy Clark. He lived offshore for nearly 20 years, mostly based in Scotland where he helped to create a joint public/ private sector international marketing company for integrated supply chains from agricultural production to major retail partners in the UK, France, Germany and North America. After returning from Scotland Andrew managed a New Zealand trade development and retail outlet in Hong Kong. Business development and governance experience he believes will be useful in creating key relationships for Federated Farmers and communicating the many positives the primary sector needs to showcase both within New Zealand and internationally.

ANGELA JOHNSTON

Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor Nelson, Tasman & West Coast Angela joined Federated Farmers in May and comes from a farming background in the King Country. Angela previously worked at MPI as a senior policy analyst covering biosecurity and border systems, and as a senior advisor in the plant and environment biosecurity response team. She also worked for the Scottish Government in the Animal Health & Welfare Division, incorporating EU legislation and preparing contingency plans for foot and mouth disease, bluetongue, avian and equine diseases. She studied agricultural science at Lincoln University and is now looking forward to being on the ‘other side of the fence’ and representing farmers.

HARRY MATTHEWS Federated Farmers Whanganui Provincial President

Harry has been involved with the Federation’s Whanganui province for two years after “being nabbed out of a local petrol station” by past-president Brian Doughty. With his siblings all Fed members and having cousin Tim Matthews (long-standing Whanganui meat and fibre chairman), he decided to join the fray. Spending most of his young adulthood overseas, he worked last year with the Ruapehu/ Whanganui Rural Support Trust on the June 2015 flood-recovery process. The time spent working in the MPI offices in Whanganui provided insight into local rural issues, especially the concerns of the rural support Initiative. Harry also does casual work for farms in the district.

SIMON WILLIAMSON North Otago Provincial President

Simon succeeds Richard Strowger who stood down at the May AGM. A High Country farmer for all his life he was raised at Birchwood Station and has been a Feds’ member for over 13 years. Simon owns Glenbrook Station at Oamarama, farming fine wool merino, finishing lambs and has a small cropping seed operation. He recently took over Federated Farmers’ High Country Chair from Chas Todhunter. Simon follows the Otago Highlanders and has many interests outside farming – he’s president of his local jockey club, chair of the medical centre and has a pilot’s licence. He is married to Kirsty and has three young sons.

RICHARD MCINTYRE

Federated Farmers’ Sharemilkers’ Section Chairperson

Foxton based Richard took over from Neil Filer last month. Growing up in town he spent many weekends and holidays on friends’ farms. Richard has been involved in the dairy industry for 14 years and was a Variable Order Sharemilker for six years. He built equity through leasing land, rearing beef calves and surplus heifers and leasing out cows. Richard has completed his first season as a herd owning sharemilker of 440 cows. He enjoys hunting, rugby and cricket and spending time with his family, wife Emma and two children Matthew and Olivia.

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