ETS decision slammed - It has been a week of intense political lobbying for Federated Farmers president, Don Nicolson and members of the national board. Mr Nicolson said today it was bad news that the emissions trading scheme (ETS) bill had passed its second reading. "It is too rushed. The reality is that the ETS will have a significant impact on our economy, and likely, little impact on the global environment. Agriculture will be affected by the ETS from day one. Already farmers are facing significant increases in input costs that are having a big impact on farm viability. The ETS will only make this worse." Federated Farmers met with leaders of the Green, NZ First, Progressive and Maori parties this week to encourage them to oppose the bill. Until the third reading, which is likely on Tuesday, politicians can still change their minds. Mr Nicolson says the Federation will remain steadfast in its determination to get some common sense and practical solutions to the mess that this legislation now creates. Read more»

Read more about Federation actions this week in an emissions trading blog.

Honey money - The decision by government to bring forward additional funding to maintain varroa control lines until July 2009 is welcomed by beekeepers says Federated Farmers Bee chairman, John Hartnell. However, the implication that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will cease funding any varroa management past July 2009 is seen as desertion by the beekeeping industry. "Bees are the lifeblood of our rural based economy and government walking away from managing its own mistake of letting the varroa mite into the country is not looked upon in a positive light. We're a small industry that relies on a relatively disease and pest free environment to survive. Continuing to keep the rest of the South Island varroa free is a priority, not only for the bee industry, but for continued crop pollination," Mr Hartnell said. Read more »

Free trade gain - Federated Farmers president, Don Nicolson welcomes the announcement that the free trade agreement negotiation between the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia and New Zealand has been successful. The ASEAN countries represent a significant proportion of New Zealand's agricultural export trade, and the announced agreement to remove tariffs on agricultural products will mean a substantial gain for our exporters and economy. Mr Nicolson commended the government and the work that New Zealand negotiators put in to achieving such a great result for the country. Read more »

No wild west - A special interest group representing hunters and anglers is seeking a High Court declaration for the right to wander-at-will over leasehold land. Federated Farmers High Country chairman Donald Aubrey says farmers with pastoral leases, like any person who rents a home in New Zealand, has the right to exclude others and feel safe and secure in the place they pay rent for. "House tenants don't expect other people to have 24 hour access to their homes. Why should it be any different for farmers? Even though the scale is different, the ramifications are not." Mr Aubrey said high country farming families have strong relationships with fishermen, hunters and other recreational users and this action by Fish & Game was likely to destroy this goodwill. Read more »

Recognizing rights - Federated Farmers president, Don Nicolson told the Board of Inquiry appointed to carry out public consultation on the new national policy statement for New Zealand's coast that the rights of the owners of private property should be better regarded. The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement will guide the use and development of land along New Zealand's coastline. Land in the coastal environment is often productive pasture or in some cases may be used for arable production. Federated Farmers also wants it better recognized that many land owners have a long association with their land. It is concerning that, while the policy statement provides for tangata whenua association with the land, there are no provisions in the case of other people such as farmers. Mr Nicolson said Federated Farmers generally supports there being a New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, but added that the Federation had concerns with some of the policies proposed. Read more »

In the news - See Federated Farmers in the news this week.

Stop intimidation - Federated Farmers Gisborne/Wairoa president Hamish Cave says big brother intimidation from central government over local government must stop. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry threatened the Gisborne District Council with withdrawing the East Coast Forestry Project, a grant scheme for planting on erosion prone land. This was six million dollars per year the council could not afford to lose and therefore has been bullied into introducing a new level of regulation for farmers to comply with. The council confirmed their decision this week to regulate land use on 51,000 hectares of hill country. The new regulations mean that large areas of farmland will effectively be excluded from pastoral grazing and retired for tree planting. "It is like owning a supermarket and being told you can only use half the shelves to display your stock. These rules will make some farms in the province unviable," Mr Cave said. Read more »

Wairarapa wins - Tireless efforts of Wairarapa Federated Farmers presidents, executive committee and interested landowners through a process lasting more than six years has resulted in a number of wins for local farmers. However, there are still a number of issues on the Wairarapa Proposed Combined District Plan which haven't been resolved satisfactorily. These relate to newly introduced restrictions on earthworks, concerns around significant waterways, esplanade reserves, restrictions on goat farming and land use rules in flood hazard or erosion hazard areas. Appeals to the Environment Court have been lodged.

Calf welfare - All newborn calves should be fed colostrum within the first 24 hours of life. This helps avoid scouring and diseases that can kill young animals. Ideally colostrum or a substitute should be fed to calves for the first four days of life. This is especially important for calves sold for processing or rearing. A simple blood test can reveal whether calves have received enough colostrum and this test is increasingly being used by buyers to check the quality of animals bought. Copies of best practice guidelines are available from www.dairynz.co.nz and www.meatandwoolnz.co.nz  

Safety discount - To assist you to apply for the ACC Workplace Safety Discount, the Department of Labour has developed an online tool that provides a self-assessment of your workplace and an introduction to the basics of managing health and safety. The personalised hazard register will lead you through questions on managing workplace health and safety and provide examples to help you identify common hazards in your workplace. Each question has hints and tips for managing hazards and references to further resources you can explore. It will take up to 60 minutes to complete.

Rentals and income - Anyone currently receiving or expecting to receive ‘Working for Families Tax Credits' should be aware of the following. Where a Loss Attributing Qualifying Company owns one or two rental properties, any tax loss that is attributed to an individual's income, must be excluded for the purpose of determining that individual's income for family assistance purposes. If however a rental property is held in personal names, and the rental activity does not amount to a ‘business', then the rental loss can be included for the purposes of determining the individual's income for family assistance purposes. What amounts to a ‘business' would take into account such factors as money, time and effort spent on the business.

For more advice on the above issues call 0800 327 646.

Competition

A night away on Accor - Federated Farmers and Accor Hotels are giving members a chance to win a night at the Yacht Club Hotel in Picton. Read more »

Special discounts

To find out more about special discounts for members call 0800 327 646 or login to the members area for special discounts.

Contracts, agreements and books

Members can purchase Federated Farmers contracts and agreements at a discounted rate. To order:

Employment agreements

Other products and agreements: including: lease; contractor; sales and purchase; agreement to grow; log books; access pads; and Over Dimension Certificates:

Books for sale: Ghosts in the Valley by Richard Steele  and Farming and Subsidies: Debunking the Myths by Brian Chamberlin.

Employment seminars - The Federation has secured funding from both MAF's Sustainable Farming Fund and Department of Labour's ERE fund to hold employment seminars around the country. The cost is now only $30 for members. To register for a seminar in October or November call 0800 327 646.

Diary date - The Federated Farmers National Council Meeting will be held in Wellington on the 18 and 19 November 2008, at Te Papa. Further information will be sent to delegates soon.

Membership drive - Send a copy of the Federated Farmers Friday Flash to a non-member. If they join up as a full member, you will both receive $50.

Get paid for signing up members - Federated Farmers is looking for contractors to help grow its membership. Contractor roles are locally based and ideal for someone who has great farming knowledge, knows local people and wants to earn extra money. For more information contact Di Wyllie on 0800 327 646 or email: dwyllie@fedfarm.org.nz.

Quote of the week - "The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer." Will Rogers