First ever funniest farming video competition underway - Read more »

Farmy Army heroes invited to What Now Family SLAM - Read more »

Earthquake Commission working on full assessments - Read more »

Farmers welcome Commerce Commission preliminary analysis -  Read more »

Waikato - At the recent Effluent Expo held at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton, it was good to see the regulating Regional Council now doing what we have been asking for i.e., providing information and advise on effluent management solutions. There was good communication flow, and the event was well supported by farmers who want to work on obtaining best practice on farm.  Thank you to DairyNZ and Environment Waikato for this free effluent storage expo.

Wairarapa - On Wednesday, 30 March, Federated Farmers Wairarapa  spoke about their submission on the proposed changes to property valuations for the general rate in the Carterton District, from land to capital and reducing the number of differentials. A normal speaking slot is six minutes, three for presentation and three for questions. We were very well received and Anders Crofoot was allowed twenty minutes for presentation and discussion with the Councilors. Our submission had three main points; that the proposal should not proceed at this time; a transparent and open funding review be scheduled as part of the 2012 Long Term Plan;  Carterton develop information on actual road use and impact with a more robust proposal for funding of local roads.
This issue has been of great interest to the membership and Nigel Billings has done a superb job in both preparing the submission and fielding questions from members. It has been great to see the number of individual members who also put in submissions.
The council has  been very responsive to our input. They have already made suggested changes to the documentation of the proposal to make some of the figures more informative. In the Councils' public presentations on the proposal, much was made of Federated Farmer's policy that capital value is generally preferred to land value. We were able to clarify that capital value is not so much 'preferred'  but as a lesser of evils. We also strongly made the point that capital value is a very blunt tool and the use of well constructed differentials a very worthwhile refinement. It was a constructive exchange the door is certainly open for further discussion.

Business confidence plummets - The National Bank's monthly Business Outlook survey has revealed a slump in business confidence in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.  A net 9 percent of businesses expect worse times for the economy over the coming year, down a massive 43 points from February. This is the second largest one-month decline in business confidence in the history of the survey.  Firms' own activity expectations also fell with a net 15 percent of businesses expect better time for their own business over the year ahead, down from a net 37 percent in February.  Agriculture is the most optimistic of the sectors, with a net 39 percent expecting a better time for their own businesses, unchanged from February.

Dairy drives exports higher - The total value of goods exported in February 2011 was $3.9 billion, according to Statistics New Zealand's Merchandise Trade Statistics. This was $550 million (17 percent) higher than February 2010.   The milk powder, butter, and cheese commodity group, particularly unsweetened whole milk powder, was the major contributor to the increase in February export values.  In February 2011, there was a trade surplus of $194 million (5.0 percent of the value of exports), while for the year ended February 2011 there was a trade surplus of $758 million (1.7 percent of exports). This is the first surplus for the year ended February since 2002. 

GDP rises - recession (just) averted - Gross domestic product (GDP) was up 0.2 percent in the December 2010 quarter, following a decrease of 0.2 percent in the September 2010 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.  The increase in GDP was due to an increase in the goods-producing industries, while services industries fell.  Agricultural activity declined 0.5 percent in the December quarter, following a 0.8 percent decrease in the September quarter. Dry weather late last year caused a decline in milk production which was the biggest contributor to the fall in agricultural activity, although it was partially offset by an increase in wool production.  Although a ‘recession' (two quarters of negative growth) was averted in December, it is likely the Christchurch earthquake will knock growth back in the March quarter and most predictions are that GDP will remain sluggish for some time to come.

Taieri Farmers need to make their voices heard - Otago Regional Council has undertaken a rates modelling exercise for the purposes for rating the Taieri flood protection and east and west Taieri drainage schemes. Farmers are concerned the indirect benefit of the scheme to the Mosgiel township has not being considered as part of the review, nor the wider community benefits of a flood free Taieri. One farmer is staring down the barrel of an extra $14,000 in rates. Otago Regional Council is continuing its consultation with the community. Make sure you have your say during the Annual Plan process, as once the next rates bill arrives it will be too late. For more information contact David Cooper on 03 4777 361 or email dcooper@fedfarm.org.nz

New Zealand Dairy industry awards - Results are starting to be announced, to view them please click here.

The Eastern Field Day - Themed "Water - the New Oil', this field day is aimed at the Agriculture, Viticulture and Horticulture markets. Exhibitors range from equipment suppliers to advisory services to conservation and regulation specialists. Converging on the Hawke's Bay Show grounds, the Eastern Field Day will be housed in the exhibition hall, grandstand and outdoor exhibition, with demonstration areas for displays and a dedicated seminar room in the grandstand. The event will be held on Friday 8 April, between 8.30am and 5pm with tickets for just $10. For further information please contact Hillary Riches Hawke's Bay A&P Society Event manager on 06 878 3123 or email events@showgroundshb.co.nz

Have you got keen young people working on your farm? Talk to AgITO today about Modern apprenticeships.  Modern apprenticeships are a work based education initiative sponsored by the New Zealand Government for 16-21 year olds in industry employment. Trainees learn while they earn and gain nationally recognised NZQA qualifications.
The extra mentoring and goal setting support given to modern apprentices gives the scheme a significant advantage over other training options - helping your staff member to up skill and work smarter on your farm. Programmes are available in the dairy, sheep and beef sectors and more. To enrol or find out more, contact your local AgITO training adviser on 0800 691 111 or visit our website at www.agito.ac.nz.

Real advice and questions answered at employment seminar in Southland - Receive practical advice on how to avoid common employment mistakes, discuss your own scenarios and have your queries answered.  Plus, everyone attending will receive a free Casual Employment Agreement. Federated Farmers invites all farmers (both members and non-members) to attend this Employment Seminar.
When: Friday 15 April, 10.00am - 12.30pm. This will be followed by lunch and the opportunity to talk with the facilitator.
Where: The Lounge Room, Winton Presbyterian Church, corner Park and Meldrum Streets, Winton. Enter through the Park Street entrance.
Cost to attend: Federated Farmers members: $35 per person, non-members: $70 per person. For catering purposes click here to register or phone 0800 327 646, by Tuesday 12 April 2011.  

Half price wine - For a host of brand new award winning Sauvignon Blanc's, and many other quality wines at under half price, simply go to www.winesonline.co.nz

The Rabobank Agribusiness Review - Prepared by Rabobank's specialist Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) division, the New Zealand and Australia Agribusiness Review provides monthly commentary on the region's economic and agricultural conditions. As a snapshot of the food and agribusiness sectors, the review includes recent price and market trend data and analysis and covers a range of topics. Have a read of the latest Rabobank Agribusiness review by clicking here.

20 percent off all Dulux paint and accessories - Dulux Paints have joined the Federated Farmers family of business partners and are offering a special deal to all financial members.  Simply visit any Guthrie Bowron or Dulux Trade Centre and present your Federated Farmers card to receive 20 percent off all Dulux paints and accessories.  To find out where your nearest store is please call 0800 800 424.

Get your new employment contracts now - Federated Farmers has new employment agreements available to cover the key changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the Holidays Act 2003, which took today, Friday 1 April. The existing employment agreement has been separated into two agreements, the Individual Employment Agreement - Permanent and the Individual Employment Agreement - Fixed Term.  The reason for separating the two relates to risk management. In the event of an employment dispute, having separate agreements reduces the risk that your fixed term employee will be found to be a permanent member of staff.    Remember, if in doubt, please call our Customer Services team on 0800 327 646 to discuss which employment agreement is best for your business. The first 15 minutes of your call for legal advice is free to all financial Federated Farmers members. These new employment agreements are just $50 + GST for two copies and can be ordered by calling 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646). Non-members can also purchase employment agreements, but at the unsubsidised price of $150 + GST. 

Member benefits and offers - To view special discounts exclusive to Federated Farmers members, please call 0800 327 646 or click here to log onto our members only area.

Quote of the week - "For a country like ours that's dependent on agriculture businesses... biosecurity is a boring issue that flies beneath the radar, but it's a very important none the less".  Corin Dan from Breakfast on TV1 following an interview with Federated Farmers President Don Nicolson.  For the full interview click here.