MANAGEMENT Lupin gains traction in high country. PAGE 24
MACHINERY Revamped farm bike ticks all the right boxes. PAGE 33
RURALNEWS
ANIMAL HEALTH Vets’ national body backs animal welfare reforms.
PAGE 31
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
JANUARY 20, 2015: ISSUE 576
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Feds to revamp fees P E T E R BU R K E peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
FEDERATED FARMERS is looking at changing its subscription structure to better reflect the changing nature of farm land ownership. National president William Rolleston says people owning multiple farms and corporate farming has reduced the lobby’s membership numbers. He says Feds is looking at finding a subscription structure that is fair and equitable to all. “If one person has a number of farms it doesn’t seem reasonable that they pay a single farm subscription when someone has, say, just one 400ha property
and is paying the same,” he told Rural News. “We have to package it in a way that the members feel is equitable and they all feel they are getting value. If you own five farms you are getting five times the value from Federated Farmers as opposed to having one – the value is spread across all of those farms.” Rolleston says the Federation has some farmers now paying on a per farm
basis and believes this could be way to go. He doesn’t believe the farmer lobby will go the same way as the dairy sector, which levies members on their production. He says a subscription based on a ‘per farm’ basis is likely, but adds there are anomalies with a person with 5000 stock units paying the same as someone with 30,000 SUs. In the past, the Federation has focused on the number of members it
has and Rolleston says such a concept in today’s farming environment is “a bit silly”. He says the Federation has been working with corporate farmers on an arrangement to reflect the benefits they receive from their membership. The Feds board will consider a proposal for the national council in June. The council comprises all the provincial presidents and the board. They have the final say on policy issues.
HIGH AND DRY! Opuha Water chief executive Tony McCormick and local farmer David Williams (front) pictured at the South Canterbury lake last week. The Opuha lake is well below its normal level; meaning irrigation and other restrictions in the area. The prolonged dry spell is starting to bite in the wider South Canterbury region, as well as other parts of the country. For a full report turn to page 6-7
FMG0027_RN
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CHAIR BACKS STATUS QUO A N D R EW SWA L LOW
SILVER FERN Farms’ chairman Rob Hewett has effectively backed himself and Herstall Ulrich in the director election requesting a vote for “no change” to the board. The cooperative’s debt reduction and Plate-to-Pasture programmes are “winning strategies” and it is important they are not derailed, he told Rural News. “We want to invest more in the revenue growth parts of our business, driving our consumer and hotel-restaurant offers into selected high-potential markets around the world.” The $100m capital raise that Goldman Sachs is scoping for the cooperative would drive such investment, as well as debt reduction, and shareholders will be kept informed and given a clear investment value proposition when appropriate, he says. “Increased equity is investment in growth and at the same time as paying down debt, turbo-charges the business.” Hewett acknowledges industry restructure “remains to be dealt with” and says SFF is committed to “sensible rationalisation discussions” with any industry participant. – More on SFF elections page 5