Federated Farmers' Adverse Events Trust makes first Christchurch donation

Federated Farmers’ Adverse Events Trust, a registered charity (no. CC46245), has made its first donation to assist residents affected by the 22 February Christchurch earthquake.

“A $40,000 gift has been made by the Adverse Events Trust (AET), administered by Federated Farmers, to the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) for its work in Christchurch,” says Don Nicolson, Federated Farmers’ Adverse Events Trust Trustee and President of Federated Farmers.

“This donation is the first by the Adverse Events Trust. It is being made on behalf of meat and fibre farmers, meat companies and meat company workers who made donations via the Trust.

“This is about bettering the lives of residents in the City affected by the earthquake,” Mr Nicolson added.

Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Chief Executive, Sandra Budd, was delighted.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this substantial donation from Federated Farmers’ Adverse Events Trust toward our annual Red Puppy Appeal. Their generosity and that of so many New Zealanders, has enabled us to exceed $1 million - a great achievement given the circumstances,” says Sandra Budd.

“The funds from Federated Farmers will go to the Canterbury region, where we have approximately 1,200 blind, deafblind and partially sighted RNZFB members. This group included a number of guide dog owners whose working guide dogs were affected.

“The Red Puppy Appeal, which raises money for the RNZFB Guide Dog Services, receives no Government funding, so we rely solely on public support and donations to provide fully trained RNZFB guide dogs for blind and partially sighted members across the country,” Ms Budd finished by saying.

Federated Farmers launched its fundraising efforts in March under the banner of ‘Meat the needs of Christchurch’.

“Since March, farmers consigning wool or drafting stock have been able to send an instruction to participating meat and wool companies to direct some of their revenue to Christchurch,” Don Nicolson explained.

“The Adverse Events Trust has been steadily building its bank balance thanks to farmers, meat and wool companies and meat company workers from the likes of Hamilton’s Greenlea Premier Meats.

“This sum continues to build as donations from farmers roll in. Federated Farmers’ Adverse Events Trust would like to acknowledge the practical assistance of all participating meat and wool companies. This has been ‘Team Meat and Fibre’ at its best.

“When the chips are down, I want people to know that they can depend on farmers as we showed with the Farmy Army.

“While times have been pretty lean for sheep and beef farmers until this season, they’re chipping in with time and now proceeds from meat and fibre.

“Together with what dairy farmers have contributed, millions of dollars have been voluntarily put into helping Christchurch recover by farmers and the entire agricultural sector. Adverse Events Trust trustees are diligently looking at where its sums can make a difference.

“As a Trust, there’s a real desire to assist some organisations that have been doing great work on the ground, but have been less prominent in the media,” Mr Nicolson concluded.

Participating companies helping to ‘Meat the needs of Christchurch’:
§ AFFCO New Zealand Limited

§ Alliance Group Limited

§ Blue Sky Meats NZ Limited

§ CMP/Riverlands

§ Greenlea Premier Meats Limited

§ Progressive Meats Hastings

§ Silver Fern Farms Limited

§ Wallace Corporation


Wool companies helping to ‘Meat the needs of Christchurch’:
§ Elders Primary Wool

§ Wool Partners International.


Procedures for farmers wishing to donate to the Adverse Events Trust, a registered charitable entity (No CC46245) administered by Federated Farmers:

1. When farmers are consigning wool or drafting stock to participating companies, please kindly advise company managers the number or value of animals/wool to be donated.

2. The company will deduct the value donated from the ‘buyer created invoice' they prepare on your behalf.

3. The company will then deposit the value of the animals donated into the Adverse Events Trust bank account 06 0594 0028181 00 (National Bank Hamilton).

4. NB: GST will not be applied as donations are exempt.

5. Participating companies will forward a summary of the names and addresses of donor farmers and the value of individual donations received to Federated Farmers Hamilton office.

6. Federated Farmers will post back to each donor a receipt in the form of an official Adverse Events Trust letter, which will contain all the information required to be fully compliant with all the Inland Revenue's requirements for claiming back the donation rebate of 33.3 percent (or a third).

NB: Individuals, (including individuals who are partners in a partnership), companies and trusts can obtain a tax benefit from donations. Individuals obtain the benefit by way of a refundable tax credit, whilst companies and trusts obtain the benefit by way of a tax deduction for the amount donated (but only to the extent of the companies net income).