ETS across the pond - The Australian Federal Government has released a draft proposal to introduce an emissions trading scheme very different to New Zealand's. The proposal for a ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme' to be introduced in 2010 covers all gases but not all sectors. This is in contrast to New Zealand's all gases and all sectors approach. Agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions will not be included in the scheme until 2015, assuming a decision is ever reached to include them. It is proposed to include forestry but Australia is looking to exclude deforestation, with land clearance already heavily regulated. Federated Farmers is working closely with its counterpart across the Tasman while Australia works through this proposal, because how Australia proceeds will have a huge impact on how the New Zealand government approaches its proposed scheme.

Animal ID on the menu - Federated Farmers is seeking member feedback on a discussion document that describes a proposal for enhancing New Zealand's animal identification and traceability systems. The MAF Biosecurity proposal seeks to establish a central registry of animals, properties and people so that New Zealand can get better leverage off existing schemes to meet market access requirements and better enable animal tracing from farm to point of slaughter. Submissions on the discussion document are due Friday 1 August. View the animal ID discussion document. A template is included near the end of the document to help those wanting to submit their own comments on the proposal. Meat & Fibre chairman Bruce Wills has posted a blog item that poses questions regarding the proposal for a national animal ID scheme. Have your say >>>

Road review - Federated Farmers welcomes a comprehensive independent review of cost allocation for roads. President Don Nicolson says agriculture needs to know that costs of road transport are fairly allocated, as anything less can result in inefficiencies. As well as issues around road user charges, Federated Farmers considers it very important for the review to reconsider the use of property value rating to fund local authority roads because it believes the current property value rate funding of local roads is unsustainable. Federated Farmers has long championed the need for a far smarter system - a system where costs are absolutely defined to users and charged appropriately. The federation is also pleased that the review will feed in a wider review involving the way land transport should be funded in future.

Proud and poignant - Ruapehu president Lyn Neeson says she is proud to be a Federated Farmers provincial president after 60 local farmers, united in their concern, turned out for the first hearing of Horizons Regional Council's One Plan in Ohakune on Thursday. Farmers gave personal accounts on the threat One Plan poses to their livelihoods. Especially impressive, she says, was a heartfelt plea from member Annie Carmichael and photos from Dave Porritt and Michael Petersen that illustrated the lengths farmers go to protect their land without strict regulation. Lyn says a range of issues were discussed and she is sure what farmers said will have an impact on the commissioners' deliberations.

Seeing is believing - The practicalities of fencing and stock exclusion from streams in hill country became apparent to policy makers from Environment Waikato when Hauraki-Coromandel province hosted a field day last week. The group went by four-wheel-drive vehicles to the top of George and Marie Foster's farm, where they followed the source of a stream to the sea. Provincial president John Sanford says the visit brought home to council staff the reality of implementing rules for farmers. This was especially true for one policy maker who had never been to the Coromandel or on a hill country farm before. At a woolshed meeting to conclude the trip, farmers were relieved to hear that by managing adverse effects by livestock, the rules were flexible. John says having Environment Waikato on the farm was great for mutual understanding and everyone gained much from the day.

Who pays for roads? - A review of the roading network in the Waitaki district saw submissions from rural ratepayers furious about the state of their roads. It also brought a strong plea from North Otago Federated Farmers. The federation's submission expressed concern that there is only a tenuous link between key projects identified in the review and who pays. Under the current proposal, farmers in the district would end up bearing the bulk of the cost, yet most of the projects identified are about enhancing the whole roading network. In response to the federation's submission, councillors made political statements about the lack of a Crown contribution to rates, especially in districts such as Waitaki, which leaves a large burden on local ratepayers. Federated Farmers assured council that it would like nothing more than for Crown agencies to make a fair contribution to rates and for rates to exit road funding altogether. For those wishes to be granted, however, a bold move by central government is required.

Accountability key - Federated Farmers Southland president David Rose delivered a message to the Southland economic development agency, Venture Southland, that said it must be more accountable to ratepayers. He says Venture should introduce a fee for service, as previously recommended by an independent review of the agency. He also told the agency all districts in the region should be paying a similar amount per ratepayer; currently Southland district ratepayers are paying the lion's share of the cost.

Waitaki Water Allocation Plan - Lower Waitaki irrigators, along with other stakeholders including Federated Farmers, attended an Environment Canterbury workshop in Waimate yesterday to work through issues arising from the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan. Following its inception, there was a two-year moratorium on changing the plan, which expired on 3 July 2008. Major issues include insufficient allowance for agricultural and horticultural use and inconsistency in specified environment flows. Environment Canterbury's dilemma is whether to proceed with a plan change immediately, or to wait for the Lower Waitaki consent applications which are scheduled to be heard in August. Environment Canterbury's current advice appears to favour the second option: to allow the current consent applications to be heard and then to proceed with a plan change.

Inflation high - The Consumer Price Index increased 1.6 percent in the June 2008 quarter - the highest in 18 years, according to Statistics New Zealand. Annual headline inflation hit 4 percent in June and is likely to test 5 percent later this year. Food and petrol prices were the main driver, along with higher household energy costs.

• Increases in transport prices contributed most to rising inflation, in particular the increase in petrol.
• Food prices are up 2.2 percent in the June quarter.
• Electricity prices also recorded a 3.6-percent increase.

The high inflation and low growth environment will make the Reserve Bank's decision on whether to cut interest rates a difficult one.

Loud and clear - If you have to shout to make yourself heard, the noise level may be damaging your hearing further. Unfortunately, once your ears are damaged by excessive noise, they can't be repaired - so look after them. Treat noise like any other hazard on the farm, and apply the three-step approach to noise hazards:

• Replace noisy equipment with something quieter.
• Remove the source of noise to somewhere it won't affect you. For example, move the milking machine pump outside the shed, or put sound-dampening material over it, to stop the noise from reaching your ears.
• Reduce the impact of noise that does reach your ears by limiting the time you're exposed to it or by wearing earmuffs.

It's also a good idea to get plenty of quiet time at the end of the day to give your ears a break, and get your hearing checked regularly. Read more >>

Flexible working - The Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 came into effect on 1 July 2008. The act provides eligible employees with the right to request a variation to their hours of work, days of work, or place of work. For more information on how this might effect your business, call  0800-327-646.

Calving season - Calving is underway and the ability to rectify cow condition and pasture cover is now limited. Don't move away from the basic fundamentals of the first rotation. A long rotation is essential to ensuring that feed is pushed forward to the critical period just before the balance point (when pasture growth equals cow requirements). Use the first rotation plans available from your consultants or DairyNZ and make the differences up with supplements. With predicted levels of payout, inputs of feed are highly economic. For more information call Mark Dodd, Dairy Project Manager, PGG Wrightson on either 027 644 2324 or 07 576 1709.

For further advice call 0800 FARMING (0800-327-646) or visit: www.fedfarm.org.nz

Members discounts - Remember to make sure that you show your Federated Farmers membership card when accessing member discounts. Check out the special deals from Telecom on mobile phones or call 0800 327 646.

Contracts and agreements - Federated Farmers offers a range of contracts and agreements discounted to members. These include: employment, lease, contractor, sales and purchase, agreements to grow, log books, access pads, and over dimension certificates. Order contacts and agreements online, or call 0800 327 646.

Books for sale - Books, non-fiction and fiction, written by members and available for sale. Ghosts in the valley by Richard Steele and Farming and subsidies - debunking the myths by Brian Chamberlin. Order books online.

Membership booster - Send a copy of the Friday Flash to a non-member. If they join Federated Farmers and quote the "Friday Flash offer", the federation will send $50 to both you and the new member. Join up today.

Maize Growers to Meet - The Maize Growers Committee is holding its AGM on Thursday 7 August at the Hamilton Airport Motor Inn from 10am to 3pm. The meeting is open to all maize growers and includes speakers from MAF Biosecurity and Ravensdown. This is a good opportunity for maize growers to discuss important issues such as prices, supplementary feeds and biosecurity. For more information and to register, contact Carly Sluys at csluys@fedfarm.org.nz or 0800 FARMING by Friday 1 August.

Rural Butchers Conference - This will be held in Dunedin on Saturday 13 September at the Accor Mercure Hotel. Highlights of the conference will include a trip to the Inox Stirling Meat Equipment Centre and Saturday night dinner with fellow rural butchers. To book your accommodation, please contact Eva Johnston at the Federated Farmers Wellington office; email ejohnston@fedfarm.org.nz, phone 0800 327 646.

Employment seminars - Sign up for a Federated Farmers Employment Seminars in October and November. Cost is $65 for members and $165 for non-members. Call 0800 327 646 to register. See when a seminar is in your area.

Ewe Hogget Winners - Congratulations to members Kerry and Charlie Seymour from Whangara, north of Gisborne. They are the winners of the 2008 Rabobank-sponsored New Zealand Ewe Hogget Competition. The Seymours were crowned overall winners of the 2008 Ewe Hogget Competition at a prizegiving ceremony held in Balclutha on 1 July. Read more >>