Primary sector research funding a positive step for agriculture - Read more »

Rain welcomed by new Federated Farmers Northland provincial president - Read more »

Fonterra Cooperative Group forecast cautiously welcomed - Read more »

The ETS' cost ‘Unmerry-Go-Round' from the PM down - Read more »

Crafarm conditional sale highlights shallow capital markets - Read more »

Fruit fly discovery a huge save for New Zealand - Read more »

To view the full list of media releases or to view any other publications, click here.

A star in the making - Federated Farmers Rotorua-Taupo provincial president, Neil Heather, took to the stage on Tuesday presenting to a group of South Korean officials. In tandem with the regional council, Neil  took to the challenge of describing kiwi farming practices to the officials via the translator and with the help of some beautiful photography, the visors were able to experience Neil's farm without having to get their shoes muddy.

Horizons regional rates - A big thank you to all those members who replied to Federated Farmers Ruapehu's request for specific information regarding a Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) remission on rates for the Horizons region. Federated Farmers Ruapehu put forward its argument on Wednesday and received a very favourable hearing. The councillors could see we had a point and were interested in finding a alternative to paying separate UAGC's on contiguous properties that were not owned by the same people but were farmed as one property and did not have a separate dwelling. We also pushed the point that you should not have to reapply annually. The response from the advisory gave us the confidence to argue, knowing that this affected a number of our members.

Buller won't be bullied - Farmers in the Buller district can be pretty pleased with themselves at the moment. Council's stock droving bylaw, due to come into force on 1 July 2010, has revealed that after successful negotiation with landowners the previously draconian bylaw has been scrapped. This prior version which would have seen farmers paying $200 for each stock crossing of a road has been redrafted with the provisions resulting in a much more efficient and suitable bylaw. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Dairying leads the export charge - A big increase in dairy exports drove a 9.0 percent increase in the value of goods exported in April 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand's latest Merchandise Trade Statistics. The value of goods exported for the month of April 2010 was $4.0 billion, up $329 million from April 2009. Milk powder, butter and cheese exports rose $202 million overall, followed by wood and wood products, up $68 million, and meat and edible offal, up $63 million. Meanwhile, the total value of goods imported for April 2010 was $3.3 billion, down $5 million (0.2 percent) from April 2009. For the year ended April 2010, the annual trade balance was a surplus of $161 million, the first annual trade surplus recorded since July 2002.

Gypsy Day - Gypsy day is coming, so make sure you give the Federated Farmers team a call on 0800 327 646 to update your details.

Federated Farmers feed list - The Federated Farmers feed lists, which include both feed wanted and feed available, can be accessed via the 0800 DROUGHT line (0800 376 844) or by clicking here. The drought line and feed lists are available to both members and non-members of Federated Farmers.

Federated Farmers National Conference 'One Event' 2010 - The Federated Farmers National Conference 'One Event' 2010  will be held from Wednesday, 23 June to Friday, 25 June 2010 at Ascot Park Hotel, Corner Tay Street and Racecourse Road, Invercargill. The AGM's for Federated Farmers National, Dairy and Meat & Fibre will take place over the three days.  Federated Farmers would also like to invite members to attend the Federated Farmers Dairy and Meat & Fibre joint cocktails, proudly sponsored by Silver Fern Farms, and joint dinner, proudly sponsored by Alliance Group Limited, on Wednesday, 23 June from 6pm. To register to attend please contact Kimberley Wadsworth by clicking here or call 0800 327 646.

National Conference Plenary Day - The Federated Farmers Plenary Day is to be held on Thursday, 24 June and will encompass a vast range of guest speakers including the Hon Phil Goff, the Hon David Carter, the US Ambassador to New Zealand, David Huebner, and many more. Later that evening the Federated Farmers Cream of the Crop Awards will be held and we would like to thank Ravensdown for sponsoring the Agribusiness Person of the Year award. The following day, Friday, 25 June, there is lunch with the Prime Minister, the Hon John Key. If you are interested in attending any of the events over the three days please contact Kimberley Wadsworth clicking here or call 0800 327 646.

Win at National Conference - Federated Farmers would like to thank our sponsors and business partners for supporting National Conference 2010. Several spot prizes including digital cameras, jackets, sports bags, wine and hotel accommodation vouchers will be up for grabs over the three days. Each prize has been kindly donated by our business partners. To be eligible for any of the prizes, you must be there to accept them in person.

International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit - Earlybird registration discounts close on Monday, 31 May for the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit 2010 (WDS2010). The Summit is to be help at SkyCity Convention Centre, Auckland from Monday, 8 to Thursday, 11 November 2010. WDS2010 is the premier dairy industry event for the year, showcasing a comprehensive range of topics from within the dairy industry. WDS2010 provides world class international speakers, together with the input of local scientists and analysts. The latest Summit programme, comprising 12 conferences, can be downloaded by clicking here. To register for the Summit, please click here.

Bees Industry Group Conference 2010 - The 2010 Bees Industry Group Conference will be held from 1-3 June at the Heartland Hotel in Blenheim. There will be plenty to discuss, including the successful launch of the Trees for Bees project and the not-so-successful discussions on manuka honey classification. There will be some formalities during the conference but we intend to keep time allocated to these to a minimum to allow ample time for debate on the more important issues. For more information and registration details, please download the PDF by clicking here or contact Industry Manager, Bob Douglas, by clicking here or by calling 0800 327 646.

Conservation Minister confirmed for High Country conference - The Hon Kate Wilkinson has been confirmed to speak at the Federated Farmers High Country conference at Mount Cook on Friday, 11 June. She has had to reorganise other appointments in order to attend, so the conference will now begin at 9.30am with the Minister's speech. For more information on the conference and for registration details please download the PDF by clicking here. The full agenda will be available on the Federated Farmers website next week. Alternatively you can contact Industry Manager, Bob Douglas, on 0800 327 646 or by clicking here.

Interested in lifting your business management skills? - Open Polytechnic's National Certificate in Agribusiness Management - Business Financial Planning Management is for people working in business planning and financial management in an agribusiness. For more information, click here or call 0508 650 200. Remember, Federated Farmers members get a 20 percent discount. Click here to download an enrolment form.

Winesonline.co.nz - For quality award winning wines at below half price, look no further than www.winesonline.co.nz.

Fancy a free Solahart panel? - Yes, when buying a GreenGlo Saver mains pressure tank you get a free Solahart panel and a free solar controller. This is an amazing offer, why wouldn't you go solar when you can go for free. For more information, please click here or call 0800 769 377.

Win a free home with Versatile! - Versatile are giving away one 4-bedroom, 208m² Windsor home valued at over $200,000. Enter online at www.versatile.co.nz, or at your local Versatile. Just answer one simple question and complete the entry form and you'll be in to win! Entries close midnight Sunday, 30 May 2010. Terms & conditions apply. Home only, no land included, one entry per person and entrants must be over 18. For full details visit www.versatile.co.nz.

More 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.

Ben & Mark, Boys of the High Country - Christine Fernyhough's true story of two boys who live on one of New Zealand's largest high-country stations, with stunning photographs by John Bougen is now available for sale on the Federated Farmers website. Federated Farmers have it for the special price of $30 for members (non-members $36.99). Ben & Mark, Boys of the High Country is destined to become a New Zealand classic and would make a beautiful gift. We have a limited number so get online, by clicking here and order yours today.

The Road to Castle Hill: A High Country Love Story - Christine Fernyhough's first High Country tale is now available on the Federated Farmers website. Warm and humorous, this inspirational book tells the story of a woman bold enough to do what many urbanites dream of: embark on an entirely new life and throw herself into a considerable challenge. Federated Farmers have it for the great price of $38.50 for members (non-members $45.50). Beautifully illustrated, The Road to Castle Hill is also a celebration of New Zealand's high-country way of life. We have a limited number so get online, by clicking here and order yours today.

Contracts, agreements and leases - These include land, stock, contractor, sales and purchase, agreement to grow, log books, access pads, Over Dimension Certificates and employment. Remember, it's a legal requirement to have an employment contract for EVERY employee so if you don't have a current employment agreement, then order one now. Contracts, agreements and leases are available in both electronic and hard copy formats for your convenience. To purchase, call 0800 FARMING or click here.

Quote of the week - "Brick-bat this week goes to Sir Henry van der Heyden for counting his chickens before they hatch by announcing $6.60 milk payout but suggesting it may be north of $8. with this quote. Bouquet goes to the Ranfurly Shield Southland rugby team who havnt lost a game in the last three months!" Conor English this morning on Newstalk ZB, Wellington.

The announcer later pointed out that Southland had not in fact played a game this year.