News
28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 12, 2021
Farm business manager wins award Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz TAUPŌ farm business manager James van Bohemen was awarded the 2021 Rabobank Business Management prize for up-andcoming farmers. Selected from a group of New Zealand’s most progressive young farmer graduates of the 2019 Rabobank Farm Managers Programme (FMP), Van Bohemen is recognised for his project that demonstrates how he effectively utilised the lessons from the programme in his role as the farm business manager at Pāmu’s Rangitaiki Station, near Taupō.
I hadn’t really aspired to the farm business manager position as I’d envisaged my future would be in a more hands-on farming role. James van Bohemen Rangitaiki Station Designed for emerging farmers, the FMP focuses on the development of business management skills, with an emphasis on business planning, leadership, people management and self-awareness. The 8300ha Rangitaiki Station employs 24 staff across a range of enterprises, including sheep, beef and deer breeding and finishing units, and has an intensive bull beef system. Van Bohemen’s management project included two key focus
areas: people development and business profitability. “The people component was centered around attracting good people to the station and then working with them to expand their skillsets,” Van Bohemen said. “As part of this, individual staff development plans have now been developed for each of our staff and this has allowed me to gain a much better understanding of the areas where our employees want to develop their skills and where they see their careers heading. “In addition, we’ve done some work together as a group to develop the culture of the organisation. “We joined a local Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) Action Network group, which helps keep team members up-to-date on key industry developments, as well as providing valuable networking opportunities.” The business focus of the project initially involved analysing the station’s operations and identifying opportunities to make it more profitable. “Following this process, we made the decision to conduct a farm policy review on our sheep, beef and deer farm systems, which I was given the opportunity to lead,” he said. “This led us to explore a number of different farming policies focusing on creating a simplified, repeatable farm system that could deliver consistent production and profit. Van Bohemen says the FMP was a phenomenal course which had changed his mind set on his own career aspirations. “When I undertook the course in 2019, I was the farm operations manager at Rangitaiki and I hadn’t really aspired to the farm
RECOGNISED: James van Bohemen receives the Rabobank business management award and $2000 cash prize from Rabobank NZ chief executive Todd Charteris at the graduation ceremony in Christchurch.
business manager position as I’d envisaged my future would be in a more hands-on farming role,” he said. “The programme changed my thinking on this, as it really sparked my interest in some of the softer skills surrounding farm management, like working on the business and working with people, which are so crucial in running a large-scale farming operation like Rangitaiki. Since then, Van Bohemen moved into the farm business manager role and says some of the lessons from the course have proven invaluable. “In particular, I found the sessions on people management and succession planning really useful,” he said.
“I’d previously viewed succession planning as something that was only really important in the context of family farming operations, however, the session on this topic opened my eyes to the importance of succession planning for all organisations.” Rabobank South Island regional manager and one of the judges for the award Michael Dunn says the management projects were undertaken so that participants could put into practice the tools, theories and ideas from the programme and utilise these to make improvements in their own operation. “James’ management project clearly illustrated what he’d learnt on the programme and how he’d taken the learnings to effect
positive change at Rangitaiki,” Dunn said. “His presentation highlighted his willingness to challenge the status quo and, by looking at new opportunities and what could be improved, he’s been able to move the dial within the business.” The Rabobank Farm Managers Programme has been run since 2006 for young farmers from across NZ and Australia. Previous programmes have seen farmers from both sides of the Tasman joining together on the same course but for the first time, separate programmes were run in both NZ and Australia this year. The NZ programme was attended by 32 Kiwi farmers representing the sheep and beef, deer, dairy and grains sectors.
Government opens up flood recovery funds Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz FARMERS affected by the Canterbury floods will be able to apply for a chunk of the Government’s $4 million flood recovery fund. Applications opened on July 9 and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is encouraging all farmers and growers affected by the May 30 and 31 flooding in Canterbury to apply for support from the new $4m fund. MPI deputy director general of agriculture and investment services Karen Adair says the fund has been set up to support the region’s recovery from the one-in200-year rainfall event. “This financial support will help flood-affected farmers and growers across Canterbury to get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Adair said.
“The clean-up task ahead of primary producers is massive and some are facing significant costs not covered by insurance.” About 100 of the worst-affected farmers have already been offered grants from the initial $350,000 fund established shortly after the flood. If those farmers require extra support, Adair says they are encouraged to submit a new application to the now larger fund. MPI has been working with Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Deer Industry NZ and local councils to determine how the financial support can have the greatest impact. The grants are targeted at assisting farmers to clear flood debris, enabling pasture and fodder crops to be resown. “Our highest priority is the clean-up of debris such as shingle,
boulders, trees and silt, to return paddocks to a productive state,” she said. Applications can be made retrospectively for clean-up work already undertaken. The size and allocation of grants will be determined once all the applications have been received. Only farmers with 51% of family income coming from the farm are eligible to apply. And, only freehold land and land covered by the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 is eligible. Grant applications will be assessed by an independent panel, made up of people who sector groups have helped to select. The assessment panel, while yet to be confirmed, will consist of people with a strong understanding of farming businesses and rural communities in Canterbury. “They (panel) will confirm that
UNDER WAY: A $4 million flood recovery fund is aimed at clearing shingle, boulders, trees and silt, to return paddocks, such as this on Darryl Butterick’s farm, to a productive state as soon as possible. Photo: Annette Scott
grants meet the eligibility criteria and that the allocation process is fair, consistent and transparent,” she said. “MPI will contribute up to half of the clean-up cost for uninsurable works.” The panel will be given some discretion to consider exceptional hardship and psychosocial circumstances. On completion of the fund, a
random selection of applicants will be audited. Applications for the fund close on July 30.
MORE:
A full list of criteria, an application form and details of how to apply will be available on MPI’s website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fundingrural-support/adverse-events/dealingwith-floods/
