Jeanette Maxwell - Chairperson, Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre
Hi everyone and welcome to my first edition of the Rambull as the Meat & Fibre Chair.

I would like firstly to take this opportunity to thank a few people because without the contribution of these great folk our organisation wouldn't work as well as it does.

To Bruce Wills, for your great leadership over the last three years, to Hamish Cave, for his contributions to the Executive and his great passion for farming, and to all our retiring chairpersons within the Meat & Fibre Council, thank you for your contributions the time and effort you put into our industry group, while we don't say it too often your work is very much appreciated. I would also like to thank David Burt our Policy Advisor, who works tirelessly in the background making our lives much easier.

Next I would like to welcome Lyn Neeson and Will Foley to the Meat & Fibre Executive team. To the new Meat & Fibre provincial chairs in our industry group welcome and thank you for stepping up to the leadership role

For many farmers this has been a relatively mild winter so far and for those with trading stock the pricing has been very favourable. It's great to see real returns for our hard efforts. With this in mind, I want to remind farmers that where possible, your attendance at the Beef + Lamb Consultation meeting in your area will be worthwhile. These meetings provide an opportunity for farmers to engage with our industry good body to discuss what plans there are for the next year and how we can better engage in this area.

The Red Meat Sector Strategy is also being discussed at these meetings. I know that some farmers are still to be convinced about the value of this document, but I ask you to keep an open mind and to take part in these discussions. If the red meat sector is to remain viable in the long-term, fundamental changes must happen. Now is not the time to rest on the supply side gains that have recently been achieved, but to work on sustainable, long-term gains, and to keep an eye on the prize. Remember T150: that is $150 for a mid- season lamb in specification and on time. When we can achieve this we will truly be well on the way to a prosperous future.

Currently the Wool Sector has a number of initiatives under way and there will be plenty to report about over the next few months. WSI is still awaiting the outcome of the receivership process, including the appeal by Godfrey Hurst to the Commerce Commission; a possible new Wool Co-Op in some form may eventuate and the Campaign for Wool is working on the international market. Changes are afoot for the Merino sector as well.

All in all, meat and fibre farming is an interesting space to be in.

Jeanette Maxwell
Chairperson
Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre
Mobile: 027 357 4464
Phone: 03 302 8860
Email: jmaxwell@fedfarm.org.nz

2011 Meat & Fibre Conference
This was held recently at the Distinction Hotel in Rotorua. Key points from the conference are:

Election of the Meat & Fibre Executive
Jeanette Maxwell (previously the Vice - Chairperson) is the new Meat & Fibre chairperson. Jeanette was also elected to one of the industry group positions on the Federation's National Board.

Dugald McLean (previously on the Meat & Fibre Executive) is the new Vice-Chairperson.

The three members of the Executive are Tim Mackintosh (Bay of Plenty, re-elected), Lyn Neeson (Ruapehu) and Will Foley (Hawkes Bay).

A number of the provinces have also elected new representatives to take part in the Meat & Fibre Council. The contact details of your representatives are provided below.

Bruce Wills, the retiring Meat & Fibre Chairperson, was elected to the position of President of the National Board.  For more details of the new Board click here.

Matters for Executive action:
There are no matters arising from the Conference, but the new Executive team will be getting to grips with new responsibilities and considering how to advance members interests in relation to a number of issues facing the sector.

Conference speakers
As is usual, a number of high-quality speakers entertained and informed their audience on a number of topical issues, including

Graham Turley, Managing Director Commercial & Agri at ANZ New Zealand

Craig Hickson, Managing Director of Progressive Meats and other meat processing companies.

Dave Moore, Research Ergonomist for the Risk and Design Team at Scion Research and an expert on quad bike safety.

Mike Petersen, Chairman, Beef + Lamb NZ

Russell Burnard, the Chief Executive of NAIT Ltd.

The Conference Minutes are in the process of being finalised. Members will be advised when this is complete and copies of the Minutes and the presentations will be available to members on request. 

Conference expense claims - These are required to be submitted by 29 July 2011.  To get a copy of the expense form and / or send the completed expense form contact eflorance@fedfarm.org.nz 

NAIT Bill
The Primary Production Select Committee has reported back on the NAIT Bill that the Federation submitted on earlier in the year. The Federation is currently considering the report and the effect that it is likely to have on members. We will keep members informed of progress on this matter - and also on the outcomes form the consultation round concerning the draft NAIT regulations.
The Federation's submissions on these matters can be found here and  here. If you require a hard copy of our submission, please contact David Burt, the Meat & Fibre Policy Advisor dburt@fedfarm.org.nz or by telephone on 0800 327 646.

Red Meat Sector Strategy Report
This report, funded primarily by Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd and the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand, was released in May.
More recently, the formation of a Red Meat Sector Strategy Coordinating Group has been announced. The group will support the implementation of the strategy by promoting, advising, monitoring and reporting on progress. The group will comprise representatives from Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the Meat Industry Association, MAF and will include two independent members. The Federation will, through its close relationship with other sector bodies be involved, at some level, with this critical process.
A copy of the strategy report may be obtained from the Federation's website by clicking here, feedback on the report may also be posted.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand
As the Chairperson has noted, the B+L NZ annual consultation round is underway, with more than eighty meetings scheduled between June and August. The meetings provide an important opportunity for members to get involved with your industry good body - and the subject matter will include the Red Meat Sector Strategy. Click here to see a list of meetings and their locations.

The Campaign For Wool
The Campaign For Wool (CFW) exists to promote the great properties of wool. If members wish, they can show their support by clicking here to join the CFW. Click here to read the latest - June 2011 - newsletter. 

Diazinon reassessment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reassessed diazinon and products containing diazinon. This chemical currently used in pastoral agriculture, for example, to treat ectoparasites in sheep and to control pasture pests, is relatively toxic and its use could be prohibited. The Federation will  be submitting on this issue.

Federated Farmers Employment Agreements
Members are reminded that good employment relationships begin with clear expectations about the role, working conditions and employment rights.  A clearly written employment agreement can help reduce the risk of misunderstandings. An employer is legally required to provide a written employment agreement before an employee commences work.
The fact that some people do not have an agreement in writing does not mean that employers and employees do not have identified rights and responsibilities. When a job is offered by an employer and accepted by an employee, an employer and employee agree to at least some of the terms and conditions of employment - e.g. hours of work, place of work, pay, etc. Once these things have been agreed, even if it is only a verbal agreement, they will be binding on both the employer and employee. The first step in putting any verbal agreement into writing is for the employers and employees to first talk to each other.
The Federation offers three employment agreements, covering permanent, fixed term and casual employment situations. These can be obtained by clicking here.

Livestock Tax Review
Inland Revenue is preparing a report on this issue and the document is expected to be released shortly. The Federation will be submitting on this matter and is keen to know members views. Comments can be sent to dburt@fedfarm.org.nz

Just released - Occupational Health and Safety Manual
Federated Farmers Members pay just $70 + GST to purchase this new, informative and necessary manual designed especially for the rural sector on best practice methods to reduce the risk of accidents and injury.  Each manual includes 5 x Accident and 5 x Hazard Registers.  Other OSH products are available however the asking price of most is in excess of $800. 
Call 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646) and secure a copy of this manual that is especially designed by Farmers and Legal experts to best suit the needs of those in the rural sector. 

The Federation has a limited number of places available on the two leadership courses to be held later in the year:

Getting Your Feet Wet - a Level 1 course to be held on 26 - 27 October
Shining under the Spotlight - a Level 2 course to be held on 30 November - 1 December

These courses provide members with valuable opportunities to develop their leadership skills to benefit both the sector and their businesses. The cost to members to attend is only $150 and this may be further reduced by provincial sponsorship.

More information can be found by clicking here.  Any members interested in attending should contact Emily Florance, the Federation's Event's Coordinator in the first instance by emailing eflorance@fedfarm.org.nz or phone 0800 327 646 or fax 04 473 1081.

Employment contracts and advice -  Federated Farmers work in conjunction with farming industry groups and an international legal organisation to ensure that all  the contracts and agreements we sell are current and appropriate for the rural sector.   These are available to members for $50 plus GST for a pack of two contracts.  If members would like additional assistance, extra information and support please phone 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646) Don't forget, the first 15 minutes of this advice is absolutely free to our members. Ensure  you purchase employment contracts from a reliable source and one that offers follow up support if and when you need it. 

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.

Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre
Please remember that if you have any issues or queries you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact Federated Farmers on 0800 FARMING (327 646) or contact your local Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre representative or one of the executive team as listed below.

Head Office
PO Box 715
Wellington 6140
Tel:  04 473 7269
Fax: 04 473 1081
www.fedfarm.org.nz

Staff contact - David Burt
Tel:  0800 327 646
Fax: 04 473 1081
Email: dburt@fedfarm.org.nz

Chairperson - Jeanette Maxwell
Tel:        03 302 8860
Fax:       03 302 8849
Mobile:   027 357 4464
Email:  jmaxwell@fedfarm.org.nz

Vice-chairperson - Dugald Mclean
Tel/Fax:  03 313 5442
Email: mcleanfam@xtra.co.nz 

Executive members:

Tim Mackintosh
Tel:  07 322 1039
Email: timmack@xtra.co.nz

Will Foley
T: 06 855 8009
F: 06 855 8008
M: 027 499 6947
E: wfoley@clear.net.nz

Lyn Neeson
T/F: 07 893 8547
M: 027 353 7907
E: alyn@xtra.co.nz

A full list of the Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre team can be found by clicking here.