Federated Farmers of New Zealand
1,166 posts | 8 images
New Zealand's leading rural sector organisation, Federated Farmers of New Zealand represents 17,000 member farmers and rural families throughout New Zealand. A network of 24 provinces, together with associated area networks or branches, provides a locally based, democratic organisation that gives farmers a collective voice nationally and within each province.
Federated Farmers supports the recommendations of the third and final Land and Water Forum (LawF) report.
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The changes to the Raw Milk Regulations have finally been announced by the Minister for Primary Industries.
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Five prestigious Nuffield New Zealand Scholarships have been announced for 2013.
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Federated Farmers is convinced wool is on the cusp of a renaissance, that will kick off Monday in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales.
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Dr Jeremy Hill, Director Research Science Technology & Development at Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, is President-Elect of the International Dairy Federation (IDF); the first New Zealander elected to that role in its 109-year history.
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Speech by Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers Meat & 2012 Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre council, Wellington Good morning and welcome to Meat & Fibre 2012.
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Following last Saturday’s Southland Times headline, “ES admits 'untruths' in court”, Federated Farmers welcomes Environment Southland appointing an independent person to audit its compliance processes, but also asks if this is enough.
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Farmers are counting down the days to when major shareholdings in New Zealand Wool Services International (NZWSI) will be on-sold by the receivers.
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Fonterra Cooperative Group’s Trading Among Farmers could be the start of a highly innovative and exciting chapter in its history.
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A calf, mortally wounded in a botched poaching incident, has Federated Farmers deeply concerned that someone will end up being killed.
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While the 2012/13 season will be tough for the nation’s farmers, Federated Farmers believes it is not as dire as some commentators have speculated upon.
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Federated Farmers is counselling Fonterra Co-operative Group’s Board that now is not the time to start examining the cooperative’s governance arrangements.
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Farm safety statistics released today show a slight decrease in on-farm injury claims for 2011, but Federated Farmers remains concerned that farmers are still taking too many risks and endangering their health, lives and livelihoods.
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Federated Farmers and Australia’s National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) have just concluded a joint board meeting in Sydney.
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Federated Farmers is welcoming the calibre of appointees to the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund Board, but wonders why there is not more farmer representation.
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A report in the New Zealand Herald, highlighting the state of New Zealand’s inland waterways, has Federated Farmers asking for greater action on the sources of bacterial contamination.
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The High Court’s quashing of a conviction for accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, highlights the importance of sticking to Federated Farmers’ Herd Owning Sharemilking Agreement.
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A simple text message confirmed amazing news that Hawke’s Bay deer farmers and Federated Farmers members, Tim Aitken and Lucy Robertshawe, are Marks & Spencer 2012 Farming for the Future Champion of Champions.
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Federated Farmers welcomes the new Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO), following the formal merger launch yesterday of the AgITO and Horticulture ITO. This follows July’s merger of the Seafood ITO and the NZITO (meat and dairy sectors).
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Federated Farmers is joining what could be New Zealand’s best ever scavenger hunt. Fronted by Swazi’s Davey Hughes, farmers are being given a great opportunity to not only find an Isuzu D-Max Ute, but if they do, they get to keep it.
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Federated Farmers has brokered what could be its last meeting before the mutant calf issue ends up before the Courts and/or the Commerce Commission.
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Federated Farmers believes quantitative easing now would be incredibly bad for New Zealand.
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Federated Farmers Grain & Seed Industry Group welcomes the news that Solid Energy has received a bid to buy its Agribusiness division as a going concern.
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Federated Farmers Rotorua-Taupo is applauding the work of farmers and the wider community, which has seen Lake Rotorua improve beyond the target set by Bay of Plenty Regional Council in its regional water and land plan.
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After the second consecutive district plan success against Transpower’s ‘buffer zones’, this time in Waimate District, Federated Farmers is calling on Transpower to call off its expensive lawyers and instead read the writings of its own Chief Executive.
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Federated Farmers applauds the research team at AgResearch for a global breakthrough on hypoallergenic milk, which could add value to new milk based exports, so long as it clears regulatory and safety approvals.
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Federated Farmers is pleased to see evidence the Remote Schools Rural Broadband Initiative is reaching remote rural communities, including the children at Kereru School in Hawkes’ Bay who are the first school to be connected this week.
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A Kiwi deer farming couple could be crowned 2012 Marks & Spencer Farming for the Future Champion of Champions.
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The high Kiwi dollar has cost Fonterra’s farmer-shareholders around a billion dollars in lost revenue. Yet its result, in a week of job losses, should remind everyone the exceptional opportunities New Zealand has with food.
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Federated Farmers today confirmed that it has filed an appeal in the High Court regarding the Environment Court decision [2012 NZEnvC182] in Andrew Day and Others v Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council. The council is also known as Horizons Regional Council.
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With local government spending increasing 119 percent in less than ten years, Federated Farmers has used its submission on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill, to call for local government to be refocused on local government.
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CHRISTCHURCH — Federated Farmers’ Adverse Events Trust (registered charity no.
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Federated Farmers Dairy wants to clarify its position on semen supplied by LIC bull, Matrix, to farmers, leading to a number of calves being born deformed.
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Adverse weather is not the only thing threatening sheep farmers.
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CANTERBURY — Federated Farmers applauds the decision of Local Government Minister, the Hon David Carter MP, to extend the Environment Canterbury (Ecan) Commissioners term for a further three years to 2016.
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nstead of improving the environment, the Environment Court’s decision on the Horizon Regional Council’s (HCR) controversial One Plan will be bad for everyone in the Horizons region.
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Federated Farmers Gisborne is disappointed the Wairoa to Gisborne rail line is to be mothballed under KiwiRail’s Infrastructure and Engineering Business Plan. The Federation now challenges the Government to increase road funding to support the region’s exporters.
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The 0.4 percent fall in merchandise export volumes for the March 2012 quarter, has Federated Farmers questioning if government, at all levels, understands the need for spending and policy restraint.
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Under its Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Federated Farmers is supporting the Ministry in a major animal welfare case involving dairy cattle on the West Coast.
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Without the incredible honeybee, two-thirds of the food we take for granted would almost vanish, making life as we know it impossible.
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The hard work of Tauranga’s Pahoia School for Bee Week 2012, has brought praise from Federated Farmers.
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Federated Farmers is highlighting how everyone can make a difference to whether bees are healthily ‘fat’ or sickly skinny.
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By reaching Bluff in the 12 years since the Varroa Mite was first confirmed in Auckland, one of the world’s worst bee threats is close to completing its colonisation of New Zealand. “Has Varrora had an impact on New Zealand? Absolutely,” confirms John Hartnell, Federated Farmers Bees chairperson and a major exporter of bee products.
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Honey bees, so vital to every New Zealander, are just 500 grams from a disaster warns Federated Farmers. That could be in the shape of just one infected jar of honey entering the country from Australia.
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After 24 burgers were delivered for a joint lunch with the Forestry Owners Association, the Board of Federated Farmers has given its thumbs-up to McDonald’s Serious Lamb Burger.
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Federated Farmers will continue to work with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), to ensure New Zealand’s farmers have the highest levels of practicable rules around animal welfare.
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The fight against Transpower’s proposed transmission buffer zone rules has paid off.
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Federated Farmers is fizzing with excitement as lamb becomes a permanent fixture on the McDonald’s menu; both as a marquee burger and as a healthy wrap.
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Federated Farmers is happy with the proposed simplified rules for operating agricultural vehicles on roads announced today by the associate Minister of Transport.
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Initial reports following the eruption of Mt Tongariro is that thankfully, it has had minimal impact on farm pasture or stock drinking water. Four farms have been contacted in different geographical parts of the Hawke’s Bay and they are yet to report ash.
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Federated Farmers is welcoming Beef+Lamb NZ’s Economic Service confirming declines in the national sheep flock and beef herd may now be at an end. It also confirms the North Island has become the dominant island for both sheep and beef.
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Trust is a vital requirement to work in farming and Federated Farmers Manawatu-Rangitikei is frustrated at reports Ewen MacDonald has admitted to arson, sabotage and the needless killing of calves on neighbouring farms.
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Federated Farmers is saddened Colin Armer has resigned with immediate effect from the Fonterra Cooperative Group’s board.
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Federated Farmers congratulates John Wilson for being named Fonterra Cooperative Group Chairman-elect.
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With the amending bill to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) completing its final parliamentary stage yesterday, Federated Farmers is warning Fonterra supplier-shareholders they need to actively back constitutional changes due in November.
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With the Official Cash Rate due out on Thursday, farmer confidence at the beginning of the 2012/13 season has plummeted in Federated Farmers latest Farm Confidence Survey.
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New Zealanders will be able to size up the President of Federated Farmers for themselves this Saturday, with Country Calendar featuring the farm and work of Bruce Wills.
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Local government reforms designed to focus councils on core activities must proceed, according to Local Government Forum chairman, Michael Barnett.
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Farmer anger in South Canterbury is growing towards subsidised KiwiRail costing jobs at the largely ratepayer owned Port Timaru. This comes after Fonterra Cooperative Group announced it will use rail to centralise all South Island freight on the Port of Lyttelton.
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If the $840 million sale of TelstraClear to Vodafone gets regulatory approval, it could strengthen the financial case for an enhanced rural broadband offer by Vodafone.
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This year is shaping up as a bumpy one for the international dairy industry, with the worst U.S.
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WHANGAREI — Federated Farmers continues to oppose attempts by state owned enterprise Transpower to use district plans as a way to grab more rights over land hosting electricity poles and pylons, without paying compensation to landowners.
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Federated Farmers is convinced the independent and robust Sapere Research Group review into the entry of Psa will lead to significant improvements at the border.
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Bruce Wills’ final column in the Sunday Star Times, which came to an end Sunday, after 2 ½ years.
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The New Zealand Emissions Trading scheme (ETS) has taken a big step towards forward, yet remains the harshest treatment of any agricultural production system on earth.
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At a gala event last evening in Auckland, supported by Vodafone and Beef+Lamb NZ, Progressive Meats Managing Director, Craig Hickson, was named 2012 Allflex/Federated Farmers Agribusiness Person of the Year with Dr Doug Edmeades named as the Ravensdown/Federated Farmers Agri Personality for 2012.
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Speech by Bruce Wills, President of Federated Farmers, to Federated Farmers National Conference at the Crowne Plaza, Auckland Today, I am going to take a look at where we might be in the year 2020 and touch on some challenges ahead.
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Speech by Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre chairperson, to Federated Farmers 2012 National Conference in Auckland Welcome to the Meat and Fibre AGM for 2012.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Speech by Willy Leferink, Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson, to Federated Farmers 2012 National Conference in Auckland Good morning fellow dairy farmers.
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With 66 percent of Fonterra shareholder-suppliers backing Trading Among Farmers (TAF), Federated Farmers is calling on the cooperative to unite.
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Federated Farmers National Board member, Anders Crofoot, has been appointed to chair the Stakeholder Council that will oversee the merger process between the Animal Health Board (AHB) and the National Animal Identification & Tracing (NAIT) scheme.
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With only a few working days before Fonterra Cooperative Group's 10,500 shareholders decide upon its Trading Among Farmers (TAF) proposal, Federated Farmers is imploring all shareholders to vote.
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KAIKOURA — In its submission on the Kaikoura District Council’s (KDC) long term plan, Federated Farmers has opposed plans for an aquatic centre, costed between $14.4 and $18.7m over the next two years, and a $4.4m civic office complex.
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Federated Farmers is joyed by Fonterra Cooperative Group signing a conditional offer to purchase the milk processing assets of New Zealand Dairies. If approved by the Commerce Commission and with that company in receivership, it will deliver certainty to affected farmer-creditors.
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In National Fieldays week the Situation & Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) forecasts the farm gate contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), by the Primary Industries, will grow by almost 67 percent between 2009 and 2016.
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Federated Farmers welcomes significant changes to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill following the Primary Production Select Committee. With the Bill due back in the House shortly, Federated Farmers questions why there are no legislative safeguards around Fonterra’s proposed Shareholder’s fund.
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Federated Farmers Sharemilkers’ and Sharemilker Employers’ Sections, with the assistance of DairyNZ, have jointly released “Ensuring a viable progression path in the dairy industry”.
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On Thursday, a farmer-led Canterbury Water Forum will challenge environmental preconceptions about farming typified by the front page of today’s Dominion Post.
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In the biggest decision for Fonterra Cooperative shareholders since Fonterra was formed eleven years ago, voting packs that will define its future started arriving in the post yesterday.
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Thousands of farm animals and hundreds of households will be on the move in Gypsy day, as farms change hands and sharemilkers take up new contracts from Thursday, 31 May.
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Federated Farmers believes observations by the World Wildlife Fund for nature highlights how the environment needs everybody working together, town and country united.
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Federated Farmers is saddened to see Fonterra Shareholders’ Council chair, Simon Couper, has resigned effective immediately.
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Federated Farmers believes tighter tax rules around livestock valuations have been well-signalled.
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Hard on the heels of the Land & Water Forum report, Federated Farmers has taken the lead by convening a farmer-led Canterbury Water Forum. Taking place at the Ashburton Trust Events Centre on 7 June, it gives all farmers a chance to see what the future holds.
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Federated Farmers welcomes the settlement, subject to worker ratification, that will see AFFCO back in full production.
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The government’s moves to increase the ratio of children to teachers will have an adverse effect on rural children’s education and potentially put workers off taking jobs in areas with reduced teacher numbers in schools, states Federated Farmers education spokesperson Jeanette Maxwell.
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The second payout revision downwards by Fonterra Cooperative Group in just over two months, is the reason why Federated Farmers warns farmers to budget conservatively. It is estimated this revision will see around $500 million less come into the economy.
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Water has been a divisive issue for New Zealanders, but as one of 60 stakeholders and five iwi to agree with the Land & Water Forum’s second report, Federated Farmers is looking to move forward.
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Federated Farmers of New Zealand and the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) have today announced that they will both apply for membership of international agricultural advocacy body, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO).
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Federated Farmers is willing to contribute towards a major new study into whether coroners' recommendations are being acted upon.
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The New Zealand Fertiliser Quality Council (FQC) will be using a webcast, streamed live, to launch their new educational program, New Zealand Needs Fertiliser and Plants Need Food.
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Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa has thrown its weight behind a campaign to get the Napier-Gisborne rail line repaired.
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Federated Farmers will back the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in whatever it must do to eliminate the threat of Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni).
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After a prolonged battle, including the Minaret case in the Land Valuation Court, New Zealand’s High Country farmers welcome the passing of Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Act in Parliament, clarifying that pastoral lease farm rents are to be based on pastoral rather than landscape values.
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