New direction

Welcome to the readers of Dairy Alert. As the new Dairy Section chairman this is my first opportunity to share ideas on the direction I think the Dairy Section should be heading.

The New Zealand dairy industry produces high quality food with one of the lowest environmental footprints in the world. It is an achievement food producers and all New Zealanders should be proud of.

I will not back down from unfair criticism of our industry but I am not interested in playing a tit-for-tat game in the media with special interest or politically driven groups. I will be looking for positive outcomes for members and will be building relationships to make sure that happens.

Although I have only been chairman for a short time it is already apparent many negotiations are conducted behind closed doors. As a member-based organisation it would be great if we could shout our successes from the hill tops but the reality is often we can't. If we allow bureaucrats to change a position with grace and avoid embarrassment, we live to fight another day.

With the executive, I need to know what your concerns are and what the issues are facing your farming business. Communication has never been easier than in this current era so email, fax or phone your provincial chairmen and chairwomen. When we send out a survey, please make the time to read, complete and return it. Your feedback is vital to the direction we take on an issue.

Rest assured the Federated Farmers Dairy team is working hard. All the best for the season.

Lachlan McKenzie
Chairman Federated Farmers Dairy Section

Immigration revisited

Members of the Dairy executive and Federated Farmers met with the Department of Labour recently to discuss farm worker immigration.

Immigration is a big issue for the dairy sector with large numbers of dairy conversions leading to a growing demand for workers. In the regions where dairying is a major industry, dairy workers consistently rate near the top in advertised jobs.

One issue that was discussed was the use by Immigration New Zealand of the Federated Farmers' remuneration survey in deciding a minimum level that immigrant dairy farm workers must be paid.

The survey states that the average salary for a ‘Dairy Farm Employee' has a total package value (including accommodation, power and phone) of $38,000. The Immigration Department's policy is that immigrant workers must be paid the equivalent of a New Zealand worker in a similar position. Unfortunately they have then insisted on the $38,000 average as a minimum for immigrant workers.

The Federation presented statistics showing the range of salaries paid for the position and the high degree of variation in salary levels between different experience levels in the same position. The department is reconsidering their policy of a $38,000 minimum in light of the Federation's visit.

ID for animals

MAF Biosecurity has released a discussion document on the proposal for enhancing New Zealand's national animal identification and traceability systems (NAIT), with submissions due Friday 1 August. The proposal seeks to establish a central registry of animals, properties and people so that New Zealand can better leverage off existing schemes to meet market access requirements and better enable animal tracing from farm to point of slaughter. The document focuses on a proposal to address problems with existing ID systems in New Zealand, such as incomplete data on properties and livestock, unnecessary requirements for additional ear tags under different schemes, limited ability to match data from one system against data from another, as well as heavy reliance on paper-based records and the high rate of human error that goes with such an approach.  View the discussion document online. A submission template is included towards the end of the document.

Federated Farmers is putting together a submission on this proposal and welcomes your comments. Contact your executive team or Ann Thompson athompson@fedfarm.org.nz.

Raw milk regulations

The review of the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk) Regulations undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is complete and before Minister Jim Anderton. The Minister will be reporting the findings to Cabinet before the end of July 2008. Federated Farmers submitted on the review and supports the changes proposed by MAF except the proposal to remove the month of May out of the winter milk regime for regulated raw milk.

Environment check

Federated Farmers Dairy Section supports best practice farming. The Farm Enviro Walk is a tool you can use to check your farm's environmental health. Work with a neighbour or a small group of colleagues and walk over your farm with the DairyNZ's worksheet check list. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up on things you no longer notice. Call 0800 4 DAIRYNZ or talk to your DairyNZ consulting officer for more information.

New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards

Federated Farmers congratulates Ben and Nicky Allomes, winners of this year's prestigious New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year title. The talented couple also won the Federated Farmers Leadership Merit Award, an award not lost on Ben, who is president of New Zealand Young Farmers.

Federated Farmers would also like to congratulate Federated Farmers Sharemilkers' Section executive member, Ciaren Tully and his wife Sarah, who placed second in the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition.

AGM & conference news

There were changes in leadership at the Federated Farmers Dairy Section AGM in June. After three years as chairman Frank Brenmuhl stood down leaving the position open for Lachlan McKenzie to step up. Lachlan was formerly the vice-chairman of Federated Farmers Dairy. See who else is on the new executive.

A highlight of conference was the launch of a document demystifying the RMA for dairy farmers. 'Dairy industry guidelines for developing RMA policy', has been developed by Federated Farmers in conjunction with Fonterra and DairyNZ. Copies can be found at www.dairynz.co.nz and www.fedfarm.org.nz.

Topics at conference also included an overview of the 2007 Federated Farmers New Zealand Herd Owning Sharemilking Agreement, world markets, and milk.

Remits passed

• That Federated Farmers of New Zealand builds on its long-term commitment in the Dairy Industry Awards by holding a leadership course in the June, early July period, targeting the Dairy Industry Award finalists.
• That Federated Farmers work with regional and district councils to develop guidelines for the maintenance and soundness checking of internal farm bridges to meet safety standards.
• That the remit relating to ratification of appointed directors for DairyNZ that Lachlan McKenzie tabled at the 2007 Dairy InSight AGM be accepted as a constitutional change to the Constitution of DairyNZ at the 2008 AGM.
• That all candidates standing for a position as a director of DairyNZ are given equal access to contacts and voting entitlements of all voters.

Sharemilkers' and employers' section

Sharemilkers' Section and Sharemilker Employers' Section both held their AGMs recently. The Sharemilkers' Section is now being led by Jeff Bolstad with the help of his new executives and Scottie McLeod continues to lead the Sharemilker Employers' Section along with support from his executives.

If there are any issues you would like to discuss, contact Federated Farmers on 0800 327 646 or contact your local chairman or one of the executive team as listed below.

Federated Farmers Dairy Section, PO Box 715, Wellington 6140; Tel: 04 473 7269, Fax: 04 473 1081, Website: www.fedfarm.org.nz

Staff Contacts
Policy adviser - Ann Thompson, 0800 327 646, 04 494 9191, athompson@fedfarm.org.nz
Travel administrator, 0800 327 646, travel@fedfarm.org.nz

Executive Contacts
Chairman - Lachlan McKenzie, 07 332 3440, 021 382 442, lmckenzie@fedfarm.org.nz
Vice-chairman - Willy Leferink, 03 307 2666, 021 796 037, legro@orcon.net.nz
Vice-chairman - John Bluett, 07 825 9709, azz@xtra.co.nz
Executive - Robin Barkla, barkla@xtra.co.nz  
Executive - Andrew Hoggard, ajhoggard@clear.net.nz
Executive - Jeff Bolstad, jkbolstad@xtra.co.nz