Agsafe Weekly Rural Report

Agsafe Weekly Rural Report:

Finance: The NZ exchange rates were steady to firmer over the week finishing over the 60 cent mark again. Brent Crude is $65.22/barrel but is mostly ranging between $60 & $65/barrel.
Wool: Wool prices are steady but at a low unsustainable level. With low oil prices synthetics will again get a jump on wool!!
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: Meat schedules are steady for the coming week. The strong interest in beef is pushing feeder and weaner calf prices up in anticipation of even higher prices.
Dairy Prices. The g/DT dropped 1.6% which will have no effect on the current payout or predictions. WMP dropped 3.7% to $US4173/tn, SMP dropped 1.1% & cheddar was down 4.2%. Refer to the g/DT index above and follow the movements.
The new dairy season is underway with some exciting prospects. There is an opportunity to do some real planning and set some KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). Targets and monitoring of targets through the year will help in achieving the required outcomes & will always add to the financial “bottom-line”. Beef, dairy & kiwifruit prices are all very good, & even lamb prices are OK.
Quote: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
I would be interested to hear what the current cost of Heifer grazing is as there seems to be a big variation!!
Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!
You can hear us live on the radio on Monday morning at 7.35 am with Brian Kelly on Country Sport Breakfast – Radio NZ Gold AM. 792 AM in the Waikato & 1332 AM in Auckland.
Jim’s Weekly Rant:
It’s a while since I have had to comment on the Health & Safety at Work Act but recent changes and events have made it necessary. Firstly, the changes earlier in the year shifted the onus from a property or landowner to the operator and while the landowner is not exempt from prosecution the bar of culpability has shifted. The changes this last week however are of more concern as the focus of Workplace moves to provide a more of an advisory role for businesses as they see the prosecuting role has a negative effect on the implementation of the Act. With this change, I disagree. No entity can be an advisor and a prosecutor at the same time. We have seen similar problems with Bankers making suggestions to farmers over the years then funding the idea and then selling them up when it failed. We have experienced Regional Council inspectors offering advice on effluent managment and other environmental matters and then the farmer being advised later that the plan is not compliant. My fear is that the regulatory officers from Workplace will provide policy information and then be in a compromised situation if there is a serious accident or incident. The bankers soon learnt that they should leave the budgeting and farm investment planning to the farmers and their independent advisors. The environmental officers also learnt that they should not offer advice other than recommending independent professionals to assist. Workplace staff need to be clear about their role – they cannot remain the prosecuting entity while offering advice on health and safety processes. The only advice the staff at Workplace should be giving to the industry is to require the business owner to identify the hazards and prepare a hazard mitigation plan and constantly review the plan and the staffs performance. They need to remain as the regulators and the prosecutors. The other Health & Safety matter that does require some comment is the recent death of a 10-year old in an ATV accident. The media in the first instance wrongly showed a typical quad-bike as representative of the ATV and with the suggestion there were 4-people on the ATV was in my opinion bad, or even mischievous, journalism. The ATV was in fact a larger vehicle with 6 designated seats and used for transporting hunters in many parts of the world. The ATV was not overloaded as suggested by the media. Workplace has advised that there will be no investigation by Workplace as it was a recreational activity and not a work incident. This is correct and is something we stress with our clients when developing policies and procedures. Recreational activities are excluded from workplace accidents. A recreational activity can take place on a farm provided there is no farming activity taking place where the recreation is happening. The kids can learn to ride in an open paddock away from the livestock and if there is an accident or incident it is recreation, but if they are following the cows or sheep along a track and there is an accident or incident it is a workplace matter. The distinction is clear and important. But the main message is, don’t allow the prosecuting body to be the advisory body as well and it is up to each business operator to understand the Act!!
Contact AgSafe NZ Ltd - Phone 027-2872886. We can prepare your Work Safe manual and hazard management plan at a very competitive price. We can arrange drug tests and farm maps for your property.