news Last season’s drought will see meatworkers face lean times. page 9
management Getting lambs from hogget flock replacements could be one way to boost productivity. page 37
Rural NEWS to all farmers, for all farmers
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THE KNOCKOUT DRENCH ZOE9300
september 17, 2013: Issue 546
www.ruralnews.co.nz
AgResearch stays mum SUD ES H K I SSU N sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
FONTERRA AND AgResearch remain at loggerheads over tests carried out for the bacteria responsible for causing botulism. However, AgResearch is not making any comments on a Fonterra WPC80 operational review, which says the SOE “confirmed the likely presence of Clostridium botulinum in bacteria sourced from product containing the whey protein concentrate”. An AgResearch spokesman said it had no further comment to make on this issue. In an earlier statement, it denied confirming the presence of Clostridium botulinum in the isolates provided by Fonterra. However, it says the research had potentially detected Clostridium botulinum and recommended further testing. The interpretation of the test results is crucial because Fonterra says that after receiving AgResearch’s results it immediately advised the MPI. The co-op also initiated a precautionary recall of the WPC80 with the eight customers that had received it, and publicly communicated the test results and potential food safety risk. A Government investigation into the WPC80 incident will be in three parts: Part A will look at how the potentially contaminated whey protein concentrate entered the New Zealand and international market, and how this was subsequently addressed. This is expected to include scrutiny of the test results from AgResearch. Parts B and C will look at regulatory
and best practice requirements against the background of this incident in relation to the dairy industry, including the role of regulators. The inquiry will then report on any recommended legal, regulatory or operational changes. The inquiry’s first-stage results must be reported before Christmas. Earlier this month, the Government named businessman Tony Nowell and
food safety expert Dr Anne Astin as inquiry members. The inquiry will be chaired by lawyer Miriam Dean. The inquiry’s report will be peer reviewed by Professor Alan Reilly, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, who has worked 30 years in food safety. Before assuming his present role he worked in food safety in the World Health Organisation in Geneva.
He is chairman of the scientific advisory board of the European Food Information Council. Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye says the inquiry will send a strong message that New Zealand takes these issues seriously, and that we are determined to protect the strong reputation for food safety we have built up over generations.
CANTERBURY DAIRY farmers aren’t going to forget last week’s storm in a hurry. But Ben Jaunay will have a better reason than most to remember the exact date: he was in Timaru hospital with his wife who had just had their fourth child, a daughter, when the 100kmh-plus winds struck. What’s more, the story made the front page of the local paper a couple of days later. “We’ve had all sorts of suggestions [for a name] for her: Gail, Windy, you name it,” the sharemilker of 2200 told Rural News. While the power was on when he got back to the farm, it didn’t last long, going off Tuesday night with cows on the platform. “We had to use the tractor to get them off.” Wednesday morning was spent finding and, in the end buying, a generator. “$9000 when you’re producing $30,000/day of milk isn’t much. It’s something we should have done ages ago.” Power to the farm at Rangitata was back on by Thursday morning, but many others further north weren’t nearly so fortunate, he said. More on storms page 3
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Ravensdown AGM expected to be testy DISGRUNTLED RAVENSDOWN shareholders have filed three motions to be heard at the co-op’s annual meeting in Ashburton next week. The motions, from South Canterbury farmer Jeremy Talbot, call for shareholders to record their dissatisfaction with the performance of the cooperative and ask it to confine its activity to its core business of supplying fertiliser products and services. A review of the constitution, in consultation with shareholders, is also called for, including the number of farmer elected directors and wards, the number of independent directors and their areas of expertise, the number of other directorships a Ravensdown director may hold, share redemption policy and notice period for motions at the annual meeting. The last point is a reference to this year’s August 14 no-rebate result announcement leaving shareholders only a few days to lodge motions within the constitutional deadline for the September 23 agm. As Talbot’s motions were lodged outside the constitutional deadline an informal show-of-hands vote on the motions will be held at the meeting so the board can gauge the reaction of shareholders attending the meeting, Ravensdown chairman Bill McLeod said in a letter to shareholders earlier this month. – Andrew Swallow