Mad Bush Farm

Reporting on politics and the environment

2009-11-06T19:21:00.000+13:00

6 November 2009

Reporting on politics and the environment

Speech notes of Don Nicolson, President of Federated Farmers, delivered at the University of Otago

I wish to thank the University of Otago for affording me the opportunity of speaking to you in this session. I wish to acknowledge my co-panellists, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei and the New Zealand Herald’s Brian Fallow.

Being a humble sheep farmer from Southland, an area once seen as a region in terminal decline, I can testify to how perceptions can be formed but then so easily confounded.

Instead of being New Zealand’s version of the ‘rust belt’, as it seemed in the 1980s, some say it’s more like Texas – but with more black, green, white and red gold potential. That being lignite, grass, milk and protein.

Nothing states progress more than winning that log of wood a few weeks ago. Boy, it’s grand to be alive.

You see farming too is bedevilled by preconceptions.

I call it the curse of 1980s. Farmers are typecast, wrongly, as wooden characters locked at some point in time, who apparently ‘bleat’ at the drop of a hat. It’s a caricature and it’s wrong.

This curse of the ‘80s is a folk-memory. The late David Lange’s misstep that, ‘agriculture was a sunset industry and manufacturing and tourism would take its place’, still haunts us today.

I think Mark Twain would have replied to Mr Lange that the rumours of agriculture’s death have been somewhat exaggerated.

The point in setting this scene of pre-conception is that agriculture’s economic importance has grown and not diminished.

Yet beneath this external perception of an insular industry, internally, our rural media is in rude health. There are dozens of skilled journalists in every sense of the word who take their craft extremely seriously.

The Guild of Agricultural Journalists & Communicators is a powerhouse of talent.

Yet New Zealand isn’t the Murray Ball image Kiwis co-opt but is very much an urban society. Our country is more urbanised than even Japan. The rural community is a mere 14 percent of the population while the pastoral farm population is estimated at just over 2 percent.

Servicing this small community includes three dedicated newspaper groups with a number of specialised magazines:

o Fairfax Rural Media Group’s main masthead is the weekly Straight Furrow. A masthead the Federation owned up until 1996

o NZX Rural’s main masthead is the weekly Farmers Weekly and

o Rural News Group’s main masthead is the eponymously named fortnightly, Rural News.

Outside of the weeklies, each of the major dailies has either a farming editor or a dedicated rural reporter. Yet farming forms a subset of the business section. Farming is seen, rightly, as being a business but this puts us at a public disadvantage to the environmental/political reporters who write in the main editorial section.

On radio there are four dedicated radio shows:

o Radio New Zealand’s sublime rural coverage and a weekly magazine style show

o Radioworks via Jamie Mackay’s daily show on its AM network

o Mediaworks competing daily show goes out on its BSport station with Richard Loe.

On television, we can boast a number of mainstream shows and even a dedicated channel:

o Country Calendar is a legend on TV1

o Rural Delivery is a weekly news show also on TV1

o The Country Channel on Sky channel 99 with more than 10,000 subscribers and

o Rob Cope-Williams farming show on regional television.

Online, there are a cornucopia of blogs, newswires and the like. We must also add in the publications we issue, like the quarterly National Farming Review and those of Fonterra, Meat & Wool, DairyNZ and the like.

Farmers don’t want for industry information, or challenge, and indeed devour it. In my organisation farmers speak for farmers, as we’re the ones with skin in the game.

The issue comes from reporting outside the farm gate.

To the uninitiated, agriculture can resemble a Masonic lodge, with ‘rituals’, ‘mysteries’ and ‘secrets’. If we reference back to San Lu, the agricultural reporters got shunted to one side while the political reporters muscled in and pulled rank.

We see the same thing emerging with the reporting of climate variation.

If you go by domestic reporting, it’s as if agriculture generates 99.9 percent of global emissions as opposed to a mere 0.1 percent.

There is precious little comparative reporting or a challenging of claims being made.

If we step back some 18 months, the fact Canada effectively gave up on Kyoto was never raised once as a reason to reject its pension fund’s bid for Auckland airport.

Yet the Green Party makes the claim we would be an international pariah without a massive emissions cut and an aggressive ETS.

Amazingly, mainstream media have omitted to inform the wider public that in Denmark, in whose capital a lot of people will compete for just 10,000 hotel beds, work will start on a post-Kyoto Protocol we’ll call Copenhagen.

Denmark resoundly rejected a methane tax. Why? Due to the adverse impact it would have had on Danish agriculture.

Not only that, but Europe’s farmers have, along with their North American brethren and probably those across the Tasman, won a free pass from their respective emissions trading regimes. It must be remembered that most farmers in Europe and North America benefit from massive subsidies. We don’t.

While John Key’s interview in the Wall Street Journal was given media prominence, the Journal’s critical editorials about our ETS related policies hasn’t.

The point I am making is that the mainstream media is self-censoring. There seems to be a conflict either with personal views or some accepted orthodoxy.

Whatever the reason, it builds a sense that the media is partisan on an issue very important to this country’s future. More so, given New Zealand is the only country on earth putting agriculture into an ETS.

I know the counter argument well too. Not including agriculture is like Australia ignoring coal. Then again, where’s the critical analysis on points of obligation? The issue with climate variation coverage is that is has not moved on far from the big picture, ‘save the planet’ line.

I mean, under Australia’s proposed ETS, only mining inputs and the domestic consumption of coal will be captured. Exported coal, like all fossil fuels, is zero rated; the treatment of that resource is left to the country importing it.

There’s one obvious question really, why can’t we do the same with food? Leave the emissions treatment over to the importing country.

This explains why farmers are seemingly from Mars but the media from Venus. A poll by the Business Council for Sustainable Development showed 90 percent of farmers believe the ETS is an ‘udder’ waste of time.

There’s another rub in all of this. Farmers are actually doing their bit for climate variation and the economy in spite of policy, not because of it.

Not that you would know from coverage.

New Zealand’s agricultural emissions represent 48 percent of our country’s profile. Yet agricultural emissions growth, between 1990 and 2007, was half that of the general economy; 12 percent for agriculture versus 24 percent for the rest of New Zealand.

Transport grew by 70 percent even with the Toyota Prius, while energy grew by 120 percent, despite the building of wind farms. Worse, electricity prices have gone up 70 percent plus as well.

Yet per unit of output, shock, horror, farmers have progressively reduced their emissions. You heard me right, progressively reduced the growth in agricultural emissions by twice that of the general economy.

You’d think there would be a slap on the back, given we’ve managed to lift productivity and the sector’s importance to the economy. No. Not a thing. Yet farmers are doing this through good business practice. That’s what removing state protection does.

I just wish to end by touching on what I consider to be an Achilles heel in this entire debate.

That being the focus on doom, which so dominates tomorrow’s world. As a Readers Digest poll revealed last week, this has many people turning against the green movement.

Not that this will see wanton destruction of the environment, more like low level passive resistance against being told what to do and how to think.

Look at it like this.

The daddy of all super volcanoes, Yellowstone, is now overdue to erupt and if it does, it is said 80 percent of all life on earth would perish. Meanwhile, Cambridge University astrophysicist, Sir Martin Rees, only gives humanity a 50/50 chance of making it into the next century. There’s a lot of near earth objects we don’t know about.

Living is not safe and we could all be wiped out tomorrow. Then again, we probably won’t be. The thing is to embrace life by working to improve things for the next generation.

Instead of buying into the negativity and fear that we must atone and regress to a lesser state, let’s adapt, evolve and grow. Let’s be resilient.

And guess what? We all use the environment every moment of every day but sections of society seem to be in denial about that fact.

After all, the Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones!

Thank you.

AgResearch makes specific application to ERMA to permit GM ruminant research

2009-11-06T19:19:00.000+13:00

6 November 2009

AgResearch makes specific application to ERMA to permit GM ruminant research

AgResearch has submitted a limited application to ERMA for specific research using genetically modified goats, sheep and cattle in containment. This is necessary so that AgResearch can meet contractual requirements.

In 2008 AgResearch applied to ERMA for four new approvals to continue the transgenic livestock programme for a number of species and a range of activities, from pure scientific research, to maintaining transgenic animals in containment for the production of speciality milks or milk products (e.g. lactoferrin), and the production of biopharmaceutical proteins. These four applications are currently held up by legal action.

This new application is restricted to existing facilities at AgResearch Ltd’s Ruakura campus in Hamilton and does not seek approval for commercial production.

2009-11-06T09:53:00.002+13:00

Kids and calves and Mums too

2009-11-05T22:58:00.003+13:00

Well they say there is nothing better than family getting involved with the kids and the animals. And Calf Club this year truly was a family affair. Amy got involved this year for the first time with two of her gorgeous children. We had a ball to be truthful and all the kids learned something. They all did very well this year too. All had a ribbon or two for their hard work and effort. Over six weeks I ended up with a multitude of digital images. Great memories and captured moment. We wouldn't ever get this stuff in the urban areas. I love farming life - it's excellent.

1,075,000 New Zealanders want rural broadband ‘fair go’

2009-11-05T16:21:00.000+13:00

5 November 2009

1,075,000 New Zealanders want rural broadband ‘fair go’

Federated Farmers is challenging the Government to show more ambition on the rollout of broadband to one quarter of New Zealand. The Federation believes rural broadband is necessary for rural New Zealand’s economic competitiveness and social connectivity.

“The next few months will determine what happens for decades to come, so we’ve got to get this right for urban and rural alike,” says Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers spokesperson on telecommunications.

“The Government has $1.5 billion to rollout broadband to three-quarters of New Zealand. That’ll be the 75 percent who already have access to broadband, leaving 1,075,000 New Zealanders with just $48 million of direct Government funding.

“While the Government’s Rural Broadband Initiative now proposes an additional $252 million over the next six years from an industry levy, this investment level is still not high enough.

“Put simply, 1,075,000 New Zealanders are being short-changed by $200 million. This much is needed to make rural broadband funding equal to that promised for urban New Zealand.

“Government funding must be targeted at where the market has failed. That’s not in our cities and larger towns but in the rural 25 percent of New Zealand.

“Government is not being ambitious or visionary enough about the prospect of rural broadband. There’s a mass of opportunities to take the rural and national economy forward in a 100 year solution. There are applications to come we can only dream of today.

“Rural New Zealand produces over 64 percent of our export dollars and our greatest inventors like Sir Bill Hamilton and Lord Rutherford share a rural background. Broadband isn’t the ability to download an MP3 track in a few seconds but ought to be about gains in productivity, innovation and community.

“It’s vital rural New Zealand has access to ultra fast broadband enabled education, health and social solutions. We don’t want a two-tier society and need to close-up perceived ‘rural isolation’ so that people from non-farming backgrounds view rural industries as a valid career choice.

“To that end, we’ve urged the Government to either make the $1.5 billion urban broadband proportionate to all New Zealanders or increase the proposed Telecommunication Development Levy.

“Increasing the proposed levy from $50 million per annum to at least what is raised by the current Telecommunications Service Obligation raises, for example, $80 million a year.

“Over six years that increases the total amount available for rural broadband to $480 million and close to the magic $500 million mark each quarter of urban New Zealand will get.

“Federated Farmers has been working for some months with Government to develop and demonstrate practical, innovative solutions. Our focus is on making a significant step change in rural New Zealand over a relatively short timeframe.

“We’re very keen to continue working with the Government and to use the brawn and brains of 1,075,000 New Zealanders to get the best solutions for generations to come.

“Federated Farmers knows broadband isn’t straightforward but our country wasn’t built by people who said ‘can’t’ but by those who said ‘can’. Economic transformation won’t be achieved by acceptable measures but by extraordinary leadership that sets our country on a path back up the OECD ladder,” Mr Aubrey concluded.

The Federated Farmers submissions can be accessed by clicking the following links:

· Rural broadband initiative

· TSO reform and funding telecommunications development

A little bit of farming fun in pictures

2009-11-05T08:33:00.004+13:00

NO! I shall not remove myself from this position your honour!

Your evil plans were foiled again....

I don't care if it's a finger okay?

Right see there? That's where you start kid.

Zee Tail is held like so!

Early spring late afternoon at a Northland Dairy Farm

Hosing off the yards after milking.

Yes we know what you are. Cute and furry and very destructive. One Australian Brushtail Possum also referred to as Rotten Marsupial Sod. He's just a young fella!

Hmm where is that little rascal then?

Federated Farmers to action Coroner’s recommendation

2009-11-04T11:35:00.000+13:00

4 November 2009

Federated Farmers to action Coroner’s recommendation

Following the recommendation of Coroner Tim Scott, Federated Farmers has issued a member advisory on all terrain vehicle quad bike safety.

“Farmers throughout New Zealand pay their condolences to the family of Lucinda Couchman, who tragically lost her life in a quad bike accident. If Lucinda’s death rams home how vital and real quad bike safety is, then something positive will have come out of this tragedy,” says Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers Health & Safety spokesperson.

“Quad bike safety is currently before the Agricultural Health and Safety Council (Council), which I chair. I also had no hesitation in ordering a member advisory be sent out to all members of Federated Farmers.

“Given the importance of safety, this advisory will be available to non-members of Federated Farmers. I would especially encourage small farmers and lifestyle block owners to make themselves familiar with it too and it can be obtained by calling 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646).

“Both the Council and Federated Farmers are concerned at the accident rate associated with quad bikes and are looking at measures to address some of the Coroner’s recommendations.

“The most important thing, as this tragedy reaffirms, is the wearing of helmets. Farmers must lead by example and drill this into their workers and contractors. Helmets provide indisputable protection of the brain.

“Yet there are some aspects of the Coroner’s recommendation, such as Roll-Over Protection Structures (ROPS) and safety harnesses, which would be impractical to implement.

“Quad bikes replaced two-wheeled motorbikes as the working bike of choice given their capacity to carry things – whether a working dog or cargo.

“Yet using a quad bike means you are on and off it continuously. A harness will not be used if farmers are moving only a few metres around a paddock but that’s where the risk lies.

“Similarly with roll cages, the evidence isn’t clear that ROPS would improve safety and may very well pose practical and safety issues of its own.

“A big issue Federated Farmers and the Council needs to overcome is the voiding of quad bike warranties, given all current concepts before us are aftermarket additions. The bike manufacturers need to be open-minded and communicative because regulation isn’t the answer either.

“Regulation could see farmers revert to using two-wheeled bikes or putting 4WD vehicles into situations beyond design limits. Until we’ve got a workable solution, the primary thing farmers can do is to ensure all operators understand quad bike safety and are trained accordingly. The biggest thing is to instil the wearing of safety helmets as a firm part of farm culture,” Mr Aubrey concluded.

Frozen Moments tell a story

2009-11-04T08:22:00.010+13:00

Two little friends wonder if they're going to get the big prize for their section at the 2009 Maungaturoto Pet Day

A talk to my close friend of over 30 years Lisa the other night raised a really fascinating subject. While in Karangahape Rd in Auckland City very recently, Lisa happened upon a shop that was (amongst all its other interesting bits and pieces) - selling old photographs. These old photos had come from dismantled family photograph albums. Some went home with Lisa.

Lisa kindly emailed me scans of three of those images. One was of Mangaraho Rock taken sometime in the earlier park of the 20th Century showing a side view and the back part of the volcanic rock that still dominates the landscape of the Northern Wairoa today. Two others were of a function with a man, in one of the images, that strongly resembles Joseph Gordon Coates -who was our first New Zealand born minister. Joseph Coates was born at Hukatere near where I live. The image itself is an amazing capture of people taking a break during an event or watching something, on the platform looking on speech notes in hand - is the man who could well be Joseph Gordon Coates. In the foreground a lady in a hat with the midground filled in by different characters - the expressions are priceless. The shot was taken through the attendance goers. A frozen story which we don't have the words for. What we do know it was (possibly) an important event. When and where? That we don't know. Check out these incredible images here along with the links for the information about Joseph Gordon Coates and Mangaraho Rock.

Huge sunfish thrown up on beach at Awatuna, near Hokitika, ca 1910

Take this image for instance two puffed up figures photographed with a washed up Sunfish on a beach. This one does have a story. The year quoted on the information on the Flickr Commons site where I obtained this public domain image from is CA 1910. So I went and did some searching to see if there was a newspaper story contemporary with the image. Yes indeed I did find a reference to a sunfish washing up at Awatuna from 1908 not 1910. Revealed in an article from the Grey River Argus 25 November 1908 I found this story that matched the image perfectly.

Mr Rionx who is employed at the Dominion Gold and Iron Sand claim at Awatuna came across a large Sunfish stranded on the beach about a quarter mile below the Awatuna Railway Station. The fish measures 14 feet across and 12 feet in length, and weight over 2 tons. Mr Rionx informed our representative that he intended forwarding the fish to Christchurch where he has been offered a good price for it. Large numbers journeyed out to view the monster yesterday afternoon and Mr Rionx has decided to exhibit it before disposing of it. As there is a midday train today no doubt, a large number will take the opportunity of viewing it.

Details:
Photographer: James Ring
Huge sunfish thrown up on beach at Awatuna, near Hokitika, ca 1910
Dry plate glass negative
Reference No. 1/2-179310-G
Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand

Tommy the Turtle and Captain D. Mitchelson

This image is a reminder of times when even the small things mattered including the little turtle mascot photographed with Captain D. Mitchelson. Another story I couldn't find the words to go with. At this stage I can't find any records for a "Captain D Mitchelson" but this image is a great reminder of events that took place. According to the information below this image was taken during the British Mandate of Palestine. The date taken was 28 March 1940. Sourced from Flickr The Commons"

Details:
ID Number: 001117
Maker: Parer, Damien Peter
Place made: British Mandate of Palestine: Palestine, Julis
Date made: 28 March 1940
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: 1940-03-28. JULIS. CAPTAIN D. MICHELSON WITH A TURTLE NAMED "TIM", THE MASCOT OF THE 2/2ND BATTALION.
Copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
Related subject: Mascots
Related unit: 2/2 Battalion
Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

Woman milking a cow with an elephants' head. April Fools' joke in magazine Het Leven, 1932.

This one in particular made me laugh. No story as such - just an April fool's joke and an excellent example of early photo editing. This is very clever and very well done for its time.

My Mum was throwing out photos - I rescued a few of them. I don't know who the people are, nor when the photos were taken. Mum can't recall either. I have my own photos here that I can't recall where or when they were taken. I'm shaking my head on that one. I decided to use the digital camera to photograph each image I have - so if the originals fall apart in many years time or are lost the digital copies remain. I've found photographing photographs turns out far better than scanning them.
But there's one image here that I won't ever forget. She's the reason why I started this blog. And there she is at 13 days old having a bottle. The Terrorist is now 15 months old and rather larger than this little tiny jersey calf my friend Gillian turned up with last year. And doubt that anytime soon the Terrorist will let me forget I was her Mum for nearly 9 long months. Spoilt little toad.

EBOP loses trust and alienates farmers over inspections fiasco

2009-11-03T11:05:00.001+13:00

3 November 2009

EBOP loses trust and alienates farmers over inspections fiasco

Far from being cowed by Environment Bay of Plenty (EBOP), Rotorua’s dairy farmers have rounded on the Regional Council, slating its selective disclosure of the facts relating to a dairy farm compliance press release last week.

“If I were an urban resident of Rotorua, I’d take EBOP’s propaganda at face value and say ‘there go those farmers again’. It seems to have worked on Maori Party MP, Te Ururoa Flavell, who has taken EBOP’s propaganda hook, line and sinker,” says Neil Heather, Federated Farmers Rotorua provincial president who is a sheep and beef farmer.

“Rotorua is our lake and our environment too, but EBOP’s policy making by press release isn’t the way to get action. If the Council saw there was a problem then my number and that of my dairy chairperson is in the white pages as well as on the Federated Farmers website.

“If EBOP worked with Federated Farmers rather than against us, we could have easily convened a meeting to galvanise farmers but no call came. Farmers want to get to the bottom of what must sound to urban residents, unacceptable dirty-dairying. I wish to assure Rotorua that all farmers do give a damn and EBOP has been more than selective with the facts.

“Yes, an initial inspection showed half the farms had issues, but re-inspection of those 16 farms on 1 September, 6 October, 19 October and the final farm yesterday, 2 November, showed that all but four were compliant.

“Yet the Regional Council released its media release on 29 October based solely on the initial inspection. The Council knew full well by then that the 15 re-inspections conducted showed a strong trend line towards compliance.

“The reality is that 28 of the 32 dairy farms (87.5 percent) comply with their consent conditions.

“It also speaks volumes that while we’ve asked for an urgent meeting to get to the bottom of this, the Regional Council is yet to give us a date. The 87.5 percent compliance rate is far from the shrill release the Council issued last week. That tells me there’s a lot more to this.

“As a non-dairy farmer that grates with me, really grates with me. It speaks volumes about EBOP’s supposed ‘community engagement’ as farmers as dairy farmers pay for these inspections under user-pays.

“While the real compliance figure is 87.5 percent, I do not feel that’s good enough and my dairy farmers have to do better. That said, it’s a hell of a lot better than the shocking 50 percent figure used by the Regional Council last week.

“It doesn’t impress me that my team has had to dig like hell to get these re-inspection figures too. In fact, I only got the final piece of the jigsaw at 4.15pm yesterday because the Regional Council has been somewhat less than forthcoming.

“There was something fishy when the Regional Council issued its media release last week as dairy farms were near to 100 percent compliant last year. Either we became environmental vandals overnight or without telling us, the Regional Council is interpreting rules in a completely new way.

“I’m glad the chairperson of Federated Farmers Dairy, Lachlan McKenzie, has email proof that the Regional Council is interpreting rules differently. The Regional Council never showed us the courtesy of sharing this interpretation before the inspectors pitched up.

“Clearly dairy farmers and all farmers are sick of regional councils moving the goalposts. Maybe it’s time to have a debate on nationally consistent rules as this would help prevent EBOP’s underhanded reporting of dairy inspections,” Mr Heather concluded.

FONTERRA CHAIR LAUNCHES REGIONAL DAIRY AWARDS

2009-11-03T11:04:00.000+13:00

3 November 2009

FONTERRA CHAIR LAUNCHES REGIONAL DAIRY AWARDS

Fonterra Chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden is guest speaker at the first of 12 special events to officially launch the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards regional competitions.

National Convenor Chris Keeping says the organising committee is pleased Sir Henry has accepted an invitation to speak at the Auckland Hauraki regional launch on a farm near Pokeno this Thursday (November 5).

Entries in the 2010 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, incorporating the Sharemilker of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year, opened on November 1.

“Sir Henry’s attendance is a reflection in the way both he and Fonterra support the awards and their recognition of the awards as an important way to identify talented up-and-coming dairy farmers and future industry leaders.

“Our awards are integral to identifying excellence and promoting best practice among dairy farmers – as well as helping to provide an opportunity for passionate and aspiring farmers to progress their career through recognition and reward.”

Ms Keeping says awards entrants enter one of the 12 regional competitions, with all regional winners progressing to a national final to be held in Rotorua in May next year. Along the way they will compete for cash and prizes worth more than $700,000 nationwide.

The Auckland Hauraki regional launch is the first and has its own theme, Pathways to Success. It is being held on a Mangatangi farm near Pokeno, south of Auckland.

Other launches are being held in a new farm dairy, a robotic dairy, a research farm, at LIC’s headquarters, at an A&P Show, on dairy farms, in a golf club and in country pubs.

The Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

Entries open on November 1 and will close on December 24. Entry forms can be downloaded at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

Trade Minister to address Meat & Fibre farmers on Wednesday

2009-11-02T17:11:00.000+13:00

2 November 2009

Trade Minister to address Meat & Fibre farmers on Wednesday

Minister of Trade, the Hon Tim Groser, is set to address Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre council meeting in Methven on Wednesday, 4 November.

Minister Groser will speak at the Methven Resort, where he will examine the implications for farmers of the international situation around climate change. He also plans to outline his thoughts on the long-term challenges facing New Zealand's farmers in the global market place.

“This is a great opportunity for the farming community to find out about this hugely important issue,” says Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre chairperson.

“Minister Groser brings a wealth of international experience to the debate around climate change and trade and the implications and opportunities for farming businesses. The decisions made in these areas over the next few years will play a key role in the future profitability of farming.

“Not only will Minister Groser deliver a significant speech about the implications of climate change on agricultural trade developments, but he will also take questions from the floor.

“We certainly anticipate a frank and open discussion as the confluence of climate change and trade present some huge challenges for all farmers.

“Sustainable farming businesses are the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. We need international frameworks for climate change and trade that will back us to perform competitively on the world stage and not break the back of farming,“ Mr Wills concluded.

Minister Groser will speak from 1.15pm to 1.45pm, with a question and answer session from 1.45pm to 2.15pm.

Crippled animals need money for surgery to help them walk

2009-11-01T15:08:00.006+13:00

This article appeared in the Sunday News today. It has made my week. Zion Wildlife Gardens are looking at having ground breaking new surgery pioneered by Dr Jennifer Conrad of Paw Project which is based in Santa Monica in the USA to have the effects of declawing reversed on some 29 big cats housed at park. The image is at full resolution so you can view the article. Text from the article as follows

"Crippled animals need money for surgery to help them walk"
Zoo's cash claw-back

Story: Neil Reid Sunday News

Zion Wildlife Gardens is set to appeal to big businesses for $250,000 to perform "reversing" operations on its declawed Lions and tigers.

Sunday News reported last weekend that 29 of Zion's big cats featured on the hit TV show The Lion Man, had undergone the contraversial procedure, condemned as "barbaric" by the wildlife park troubleshooter now overseeing the animals' welfare.

Consultant Tim Husband, hired by Zion after the fatal mauling of a ranger there in May, said declawing wasn't like removing a human's fingernails but more like cutting the first joints off their fingers.

Husband said if the declawed animals remained untreated, they would all eventually have severe hip and spinal problems from struggling to walk without their claws

Some of the cats had trouble gripping their meat, he said.

But ground-breaking surgery from specialist vet Dr Jennifer Conrad of Paw Project in Santa Monica, US offered hope.

"They open up again where the end of the toe was and they pull out the tendons and get the bone to grow back," Husband said.

"The claw doesn't grow back - but at least the bones are there so they can support the cat when they are walking."

"This surgery rectifies the way they walk so they won't have the problems later on in their life."

Husband said declawing reversal surgery took about six hours per cat, as opposed to "the original surgery to actually mutilate them which is actually only a few minutes" which involved sedating and cutting off the ends of their toes. Paw Project has so far operated on about 70 big cats in America.

"It would be the first time it has ever been done in Australasia. It would be a first and unfortunately it is sad that is has to be done at all," Husband said.

"If we got enough backers to do 29 cats, then they could do the lot." Husband said.

"If we can find funding to redo all of these cats, the would be the way to do it"

He said Zion's marketing consultant Sara Reid "has been talking to local businesses. But you need the dosh to actually pay that kind of money".

He added: "So it is the real big businesses the park would like to come on board and help out here. It could be from anywhere in New Zealand, it is a real feel-good story for them, righting the wrongs."

Declawing took place before "Lion Man" Craig Busch's mother Patricia took over management of Zion from him two years ago. Two of the big cats had been declawed before arriving at the wildlife park, outside Whangarei.

A Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigation into the declawings at Zion included comments from the park's principle veterinarian from 2003-2005 during which The Lion Man series began screening.

The vet said "key drivers" behind the declawing included 'the animals...being used commercially to permit the financial survival of the zoo", and "close contact with handlers and film crews was required and personal safety was an issue".

Craig Busch was unavailable for comment, but his spokeswoman said in a statement he had acted "with the best interests of his cats uppermost in his mind".

The first tigers he brought into New Zealand in 2000 were declawed after "advice from experts in America".

Declawing had been carried out in the presence of MAF vets.

The MAF report, opbtained by Sunday News, considered the possibility of laying charges over the declawing.

But most of the operations from 2000-2008 had been supervised by MAF vets was "problematic to any prosecution".

Sunday News was earlier this week provided with a photograph of a declawed mountain lion, which had ended up walking on its "elbows".

Notes from the Land of Gonzo - I hate being Autistic

2009-11-01T13:37:00.000+13:00

Those are the words I heard on Friday from Michelle after she had come home from school. She had been bullied and called a retard by some kids at school. Kids do that. They torment each other, call each other names - it is right? Of course it isn't - but like or not bullying is part of growing up. I let Michelle tell me about the nasty kids that were calling her names. That's the point she was telling me about it. Capable of expressing her anger and telling me she hated having Autism. Yes I know where she is coming from there. I have my own battles at times with my ASD when it decides I should be a wierdo for a day or two (or months!) - oh no it won't be. Usually I find that happens to me when I'm under a great deal of stress. I'll shut myself down for a few days (or months) - and go into one of those damned Autistic cycles I talked about in my last Notes post.

Michelle is just a little girl of ten and yet she is recognising and able to express her emotions. I remember the long long repetitive months of drawing happy face, mad face and sad face and explaining with different pictures cut out of magazines what the person in the picture was feeling. Hard work has paid off - but now Michelle faces a different challenge. Next year she will attend Otamatea High School - that will be tough. Yet another change. I've deliberately over the years thrown Michelle into all kinds of different situations. Sometimes she would completely lose it - but I would make her stay there. Sounds wrong, hard and cruel - but protecting her from the world will not help Michelle cope with different situations as an adult.

I remember her fear of the vacuum cleaner. She used to call it the monster and go and hide in the wardrobe. One day I decided to get Michelle to stand with me and hold 'the monster' and then she had control. It took a few sessions but in the end I cured Michelle of that fear. I have my own concerns about Michelle attending the High School. She has missed out for an entire year on any help from Special Education because she is doing too well. That somehow seems wrong to me - she needs that support and instead she is being penalised because her mother cared enough to bother seeing if she could help her youngest child overcome rather than put up with her Autism. We have an entire family worth of wierdos - Mum included. Genetics saw to that.

My kids are bright, highly intelligent and affected in varying degrees by ASD. My two elder girls while not diagnosed exhibit typical Asperger's traits. Inaya is overall bright, well adjusted but she suffers from some co-ordination issues, the grasping of some concepts and also suffers from severe depression. With her father remarrying a few years ago - it also meant a new step sister the same age. Unfortunately the step sister wasn't exactly the perfect sister at all. She bullied Inaya over a long term period and over time I noticed my happy bubbly girl was no longer happy. I had her in therapy for two years and Michelle as well. Michelle is still having therapy and I'm having my challenges with her over changing her clothes and brushing her hair each day. Not easy but I make her do it ASD or no ASD there is no excuse. And that's the thing. Regardless kids have to do those things and they have to learn to do things for themselves. ASD kids are all wonderful unique individuals and each and every one of them has the potential to be an incredible human being regardless of their apparent 'disadvantages'. Yes we know it's for life - so what? Yes it can be overcome - no it can't be 'cured' and it's a gift as well. I think a lot of those I know who have kids with ASD or have it themselves would agree there. But life? We can't protect ourselves or our kids forever from the world. The world won't be going away any time soon and out there are cruel heartless people. Learning to deal with them takes time and experience - but it's also a wonderful place too. Just a word of advice introduce your kids and yourself to the world even if it's very slowly - as parents we owe it to ourselves and to our kids to do that. Hiding away is never a solution - go on give it a try.

Lion Man takes a mauling in Britain

2009-11-01T07:23:00.002+13:00

Lion Man takes a mauling in Britain

Sunday News

BRITISH zoos have been warned off hosting "Lion Man" Craig Busch during his trip to the UK – designed to thank fans and generate funds for his legal battles over ownership of Zion wildlife park.

Busch arrived in England early this week, hoping to entertain fans at a series of leading British zoos.

But those plans were scuttled after the intervention of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums – the governing body of zoos and animal parks in the UK.

Biaza director Miranda Stevenson said, while her organisation hadn't banned Busch, it had made it clear to members that the Kiwi's view of conservation differed from what it stood for.

"They (zoo management) changed their mind after they had investigated more deeply into the messages that he was putting out," Stevenson told Sunday News from London.

"The truth of the matter is that we have no say over who our members invite.

"But the one thing that we will point out to them is to check whether the people they are having are promoting the same values as those of the association [Biaza]. And that is the only advice that we give.

"Our association obviously supports the correct captive breeding of pure species to benefit wild populations – that is not the message that is put out on Mr Busch's website.

"I have absolutely no comment whatsoever on the way he interacts with his animals – it just doesn't put out the same message as our association does. And I think you will find a lot of zoos turned him down without even consulting us for exactly the same reasons."

Stevenson said she knew Busch had "contacted a lot of zoos" in the UK, hoping they would host him.

Busch was unavailable for comment, but his spokeswoman said he was yet to receive an official explanation for the British zoos' snub.

UK-based fans had instead arranged a series of "private meets".

"The feedback from the fans has been overwhelming," the spokeswoman said.

Busch was last year sacked from Zion Wildlife Gardens by his mother, Patricia Busch.

The Employment Relations Authority is set to rule on the dismissal. Busch has also lodged High Court action seeking $230,000 damages and the cancellation of Patricia Busch's shareholding.

Dartmoor Zoological Park, in Devon, England, is among the zoos to have changed their decision to host Busch.

Sourced Sunday News

If looks could kill...

2009-10-30T19:23:00.004+13:00

Well the above could prove that theory. Emerald decided today what was on the bench looked far more appealing than what was in her cat bowl. Unfortunately for Emerald she was sprung before she could help herself to our food. Told off she slinked away then onto our old chest freezer and gave me a look that could have killed - in theory anyway. It was the dirtiest look I have ever seen a cat make. Hah hah caught on camera too. I am not popular with Emerald she isn't talking to me.
And neither was River it seemed. She was far too busy enjoying all the new spring grass I had let her and the others onto today. By tomorrow not much will be left so I'll have to move them on again. It's rubbish grass really. Kikuyu to be exact and I hate the stuff. Low on calcium and for lactating cows it isn't really ideal. Mine seem to be okay at this stage but I'm monitering them all the same.
This is Ocean Inaya's pet cow that will never leave here - not unless things change here and I doubt that will be for a very very long time. I'm not running off screaming into the hills just yet.
The Terrorist is growing but she is still one of the smallest Jerseys I have ever seen. She's 15 months old but isn't much bigger than an 8 month old Fresian calf. That's small. Despite it all she's getting along just fine and still sounds like a calf with a distinctive MEEEEEEEE - no moo to heard anywhere. We were planning on sending her down to friends of ours but Mum suggested we send Stream instead which I think is a better option. The Terrorist is the cause of this entire blog. If I hadn't got her then Mad Bush Farm Blog would not exist. Softies!

No need to explain what the old man is doing. He is in grass heaven and enjoying every blade of it. I've had him five years and I was told he might last 18 months. Nope Edward is fit, healthy and showing no signs of his grand old age of 29 years old. Not bad for a horse that was certified as being no good for anything. He has missed Sasha though - but the cows have made up for that. He's quite happy now he's back in with them.

Ocean's calf is growing well and "she" is in fact a bull. We though originally it was a heifer but that was from a distance. Nope it was a bull. We've ended up with three bull calves - the vet is coming on Monday to turn two of them into steers. River's calf is being sent on to friends to be used as a bull. Lucky little boy he is. They'll have headaches though all three are getting dehorned as well - plus finally so are the rest. The older animals have to be done with the use of anesthetic. Messy dehorning cows - but Stream keeps using her horns to break the fence wire. So that is it. All of them are getting dehorned. Poor cows. Scroll down a bit I've written more at the end of this. Some photos in between of the three calves and the cows there.

And last but not all the least..MAGGIE IS IN A VERY BAD MOOD!!!!! Look out she is hoarding her eggs again and you will be in serious trouble if you annoy the Ruler of the Farm. All things get picked and fumed at - so WATCH OUT!
I'm....going off to hide from Maggie now I can here her grumpy clucking from here.

‘The international cow’ is the future of dairy

2009-10-30T17:39:00.000+13:00

30 October 2009

‘The international cow’ is the future of dairy

The only farmer out of two New Zealanders on the International Dairy Federation’s (IDF) Standing Committee on Farm Management and Animal Health, Willy Leferink, is seeing moves to internationalise standards in the dairy industry.

“Having been at the recent IDF summit in Germany, the international cow is becoming reality,” says Willy Leferink, Federated Farmers Dairy vice-chairperson.

“The IDF is producer led, so being one of only a few farmers on my Standing Committee, there’s a strong push to develop common global guidelines for dairy husbandry.

“Given debate on New Zealand’s ETS, even the IDF’s Standing Committee on Environment reflected global confusion about how to account for carbon, which is being pushed hard by the large supermarket chains.

“We saw whole farm assessment versus part assessment and the IDF is keen to delineate between the two. This may open up opportunities to mitigate the bovine footprint through feeding systems and technology.

“A lot of work has and needs to be done on whole lifecycle analysis.

“Due to New Zealand’s leadership, seven organisations, representing 85 percent of the world’s dairy processing capacity in the IDF, signed a document called the Global Declaration on Climate Change.

“This document is about collaborative systems and tools to mitigate the climate change affects of dairy. We just need governments to put their respective euros and dollars where their respective mouths are to get in behind the likes of New Zealand’s Global Alliance concept.

“Denmark is seriously looking at introducing a tax on hard fatty acids because they are more energy intensive to produce.

“Also of concern as a farmer was a Swedish report on the Mastitis pathogen, Streptococcus agalactiae, which has re-emerged in robotic milking machines after a 50-year absence.

“Updates were presented on paratuberculosis, veterinary drugs, animal welfare, animal feeds and wildlife reservoirs, as well as ICAR (International Committee for Animal Recording) on reference systems for milk cell counting.

“All Somatic Cell Count machines in member countries will now be calibrated to the same standard. We also accepted a document on "Mastitis Terminology" that will no doubt feature at the fifth IDF International Mastitis Conference, being held in Christchurch next March.

“The animal welfare space is becoming more and not less important. Animal rights are big in Europe, particularly in Britain and the Scandinavian countries. There’s a strong push on the Farm Management Committee to develop minimum guidelines for the feeding of dairy cows.

“One thing where we have to get ahead of the game will be on environmental, social and economic factors in farming. There’s a feeling the IDF may wish to generate a series of documents with the first one proposed being ‘Dairy Hygiene’ - we’ll need to watch that carefully to avoid non-tariff barriers.

“The entire New Zealand delegation in Berlin did our country and dairy industry proud and they need to be acknowledged for their positive attitude and hard work,” Mr Leferink concluded.

A+ for Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce report

2009-10-30T16:27:00.000+13:00

29 October 2009

A+ for Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce report

Federated Farmers has enthusiastically welcomed the report of the Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce on the Regulatory Responsibility Bill.

"The current regulatory process is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma - but perhaps the Taskforce’s report provides a key,” says Don Nicolson, President of Federated Farmers, paraphrasing a quotation made famous by Winston Churchill.

“To Federated Farmers, this Report and Bill represents one of the most important things to have come out of this Government. For the first time, it will instil a set of principles that will guide regulatory development.

“Farmers will welcome the set of principles, especially those relating to the impairment or taking of private property.

“The Bill recognises basic rights in property and the rights of landowners. Federated Farmers welcomes the principles on taxation and fees as well

“While high sounding, the Bill provides recognition of basic liberties that every citizen should welcome

“While the courts will be unable to strike down an Act of Parliament if it’s incompatible with the Regulatory Responsibility Bill, they will be given the power to deliver a statement of incompatibility.

“That’s a powerful moral tool that will make Government’s extremely wary of ramrodding badly written legislation through Parliament.

“While the Federation would like to see the Regulatory Responsibility Bill bring local government within its orbit, as well as the Resource Management Act, this should be subject to more work.

“That said, it shouldn’t stand in the way of passing this important Bill but clearly provides the next phase.

“Federated Farmers congratulates the Hon Rodney Hide and the taskforce members for the work they have put in. Now we look to the Government to accord this Bill the highest priority," Mr Nicolson concluded.

ENTRIES OPEN IN DAIRY AWARDS

2009-10-30T16:21:00.002+13:00

30 October 2009

ENTRIES OPEN IN DAIRY AWARDS

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are now calling for entries in its 2010 competitions – the Sharemilker of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year.

National Convenor Chris Keeping says organisers hope more than 400 sharemilkers, equity farm managers, contract milkers, farm managers and dairy trainees will enter one of the three competitions.

Ms Keeping says people first enter one of 12 regional competitions being held throughout the country, with the winners from each of the regional competitions all progressing to a national final. In 2010 the national final will be held in Rotorua in May.

“This is the third time we’ve run the three competitions under the same umbrella and the benefits are beginning to flow, as people are able to progress through the awards as they progress through the dairy industry.

“One of our farm manager winners in 2009 had previously been a dairy trainee winner. It’s our hope that people will recognise the benefits and experiences they gain from entering the dairy trainee or farm manager contest to then enter the farm manager or sharemilker competition as they advance their dairy career.”

She says entering the awards is great for a CV and it can also be lucrative. In 2010 entrants will compete for a total prize pool of more than $700,000 across the regional and national competitions.

“The sharemilker contest is the country’s longest-running dairy farming competition and over the years we have found that overwhelmingly people enter it for the experiences gained.

“They learn a lot – from judges, other entrants and industry or sponsor representatives – and gain skills and recognition that they would otherwise not receive,” Ms Keeping says.

Entries open on November 1 and will close on December 24. Entry forms can be downloaded at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

Editorial - Discussion or a discriminatory hateful attack upon an individual - you decide.

2009-10-28T16:30:00.005+13:00

Earlier I wrote about a discussion topic that had been put on the NZ Lionman - Craig Busch Fanpage on Facebook in an earlier blogpost. This discussion topic is titled "Peter Dickinson - Old Fart or Seasoned Expert. You decide!" Mr Dickinson had been quoted in article that had appeared in the Northern Advocate 19 October concerning the declawings on 21 Lions and 9 tigers at Zion Wildlife Gardens - these procedures were carried out between 2000 - May 2008 on the animals concerned. Below is the part of the article from the Northern Advocate where Mr Dickinson is quoted

Zoologist Peter Dickinson, who produces the ZooNews Digest and is now working in Thailand, said declawing was "barbaric and inhumane".

"Euthanasia would probably be a kinder and more considerate option than declawing. It permanently maims the animal, affecting the big cat's natural behaviour and instincts and its long-term mental and physical state," he said.
- Northern Advocate 19 November 2009
At no time in the article does it show Mr Dickinson making any personal attacks upon the person who had requested these declawing procedures to be done. (ref: p4 MAF Enforcement Directorate Investigation Summary 24 February 2009). However it seems that the person who started the discussion was more than willing to slander and victimise Mr Dickinson over both his experience in the zoo industry and on his sexual preferences - along with some other members of the Craig Busch fan page.
Below are some of the examples of the type of commentary being made about Mr Dickinson
"I have seen Peter Dickinson throw his bloody weight around in other places, like he is the one grat guru that everyone MUST listen to. Bollocks! He is nothing but a anal-retentive control freak who wants a name for himself! I dont give a crap how knowledgeable or how experienced he is! That doesn't even come into it!"

Please pass on a message for me Mr Dickinson to Patricia Busch - tell her that every dog has it's day. And one day when she is sitting all on her own she will look back and regret everything she has done to Craig - her son. I plus nearly 26,000 fans support Craig Busch 100% and we all believe that how he has been stabbed in the back by his Mother is beyond belief.

I think I might just start a protest against Peter Dickinson and denigrate and defame his position to see how he likes it. I am sure with a little digging I can find some professional's who cannot stomach this old fool!

I think Peter Dickinson should be kindly and humanely euthanised, because he has clearly passed his prime.

I am also informed that Mr Dickinson has quite a few enemies he has made over the years. I will be posting some personal testimonies from people who know/knew him later. Watch this space..:)

I will also point out that there are also people, while disagreeing with Mr Dickinson's comments made their replies with reasoned thought - I commend them for that. But for those who made the above comments I am seriously questioning their ethics. What kind of people use threats, insults and slander not to mention base comments to victimise one person on a major social media network such as Facebook is.

The question I will pose is this so-called discussion ethical at all? Is it right to talk about another person in the manner Mr Dickson has been talked about. The Facebook Terms and conditions are clearly laid out as follows:

Safety

We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to do that, which includes the following commitments:

1. You will not send or otherwise post unauthorized commercial communications (such as spam) on Facebook.
2. You will not collect users' content or information, or otherwise access Facebook, using automated means (such as harvesting bots, robots, spiders, or scrapers) without our permission.
3. You will not engage in unlawful multi-level marketing, such as a pyramid scheme, on Facebook.
4. You will not upload viruses or other malicious code.
5. You will not solicit login information or access an account belonging to someone else.
6. You will not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
7. You will not post content that is hateful, threatening, pornographic, or that contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
8. You will not develop or operate a third party application containing, or advertise or otherwise market alcohol-related or other mature content without appropriate age-based restrictions.
9. You will not offer any contest, giveaway, or sweepstakes ("promotion") on Facebook without our prior written consent. If we consent, you take full responsibility for the promotion, and will follow our Promotions Guidelines and all applicable laws.
10. You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.
11. You will not do anything that could disable, overburden, or impair the proper working of Facebook, such as a denial of service attack.
12. You will not facilitate or encourage any violations of this Statement.

I believe at least three of these terms and conditions have been clearly violated by some of the user members taking part in the discussion topic. This "discussion' is not a discussion it clearly is an attack upon an individual person. Completely unethical, highly inappropriate and clearly it breaches Facebook's terms and conditions - it should be removed instead of being left to taint Mr Busch's Fanpage. What kind of message does it send?

Take time to peruse this discussion topic on the Facebook site and make your own conclusions. I doubt very much that the person these users are fans of would approve nor condone such behaviour if he were aware of it. It's an appalling example of how things on the internet can go terribly wrong when people get carried away and forget they are posting on a publicly visible social media network.

This blog needs a broad spectrum drench

2009-10-27T20:46:00.000+13:00

I had an email recently that asked me for a description of what my blog was about. Normally one would say "Farming" that's if it was a blog written by someone who doesn't call their farm Mad Bush Farm. For years I've read different things about "Lifestyle Blocks" and all the do's and don'ts. You can read all the books you want on farming, but what it comes down to is learning by experience and talking to those who are farmers. for some strange reason there seems to be a snob value attributed to owing a small farm. The truth is most people are ordinary folk without a great deal of income and they love the life. About the best publication in New Zealand for people on small farms is Rural Living. It's down to earth, practical and it covers an entire range of categories. Best of all we get it free every month in our rural delivery box. Angelique Jurd the editor, is a great writer as well as holding together one great publication. She's out and about along with a great team of rural journalists getting to know people around Northland and the Auckland Region. A couple of my stories have been published in Rural Living as well as a couple of cartoons. Heck it's fun making fun of rural lifestyle. I think the best depictions of all have been from Murray Ball author and creator of Footrot Flats. Murray retired the Dog and Wal a few years ago but everyone still loves the cartoons.

What is my blog about? Everything it seems. I write on all kinds of subjects and issues and occasionally I might actually mention what is going on here at the farm? I haven't been blogging much for a while. Bogged down with other things going on I haven't had the brain to tackle anymore blog posts. It's been lately what the heck do I write about? Writer's block is not a healthy thing to have - artistic blog more so. The problem with me is I'm a very eclectic person by nature. My family had such a broad range of interest in subject matter that everything has my interest. That's a problem at times. Should I focus on farming, or the animals or agricultural issues? Well I thought about this for a while and decided to heck with it. I'll just keep on writing on whatever takes my interest. I'm an editor for goodness sake (although recently I was accused of being a journalist working for a trashy newspaper by an idiotic fan of Craig Busch) so I'll write whatever comes into my mind.

Lately I've been working on a new cartoon series- the inspiration was my friend Sam moving back to Botswana - and not too far away is of course the Okavango Delta. So I started my own Safari tour company - in cartoon land that is. It's kept me occupied and I've been having fun doing it. I love to make fun too of myself complete with the electric fence shocked hairdo the leaking gumboots and the bad attitude gleam makes enough to scare anyone off. Anyway I'm working on the next character for the Safari series I won't be giving anything away of course. And as the title says this blog needs a broad spectrum drench....of more madness that is.

Malaysian FTA ‘bagus’ for the New Zealand economy

2009-10-27T17:56:00.000+13:00

27 October 2009

Malaysian FTA ‘bagus’ for the New Zealand economy

Federated Farmers is welcoming the Government’s signing of a free trade agreement (FTA with Malaysia, although the runaway New Zealand dollar is removing some of the gloss.

"Malaysia is our eighth largest trading partner and represents an incredibly sophisticated consumer market of more than 25 million people. Best of all they know New Zealand and hold us in high regard as we’ve bled for Malaysia’s right to exist,” says Don Nicolson, President of Federated Farmers.

“Clearly, agriculture and particularly dairy, was already a big winner even before the FTA was officially signed. Dairy is an increasing part of the Malaysian diet with the benefits for children’s health seeing impressive growth across the board.

“The challenge is to promote New Zealand products in a sophisticated retail market dominated by major domestic and international retailers, such as France’s Carrefour, Japan’s AEON and Britain’s Tesco.

“Look at it like this - the 2008 estimated per capita income for Malaysians was US$15,300 whereas that for New Zealanders was US$27,900. The Malaysian economy is undergoing a remarkable transformation and bilateral trade will only grow as other barriers are reduced.

“This will be a big challenge to the meat exporters especially. Malaysia represents something of a greenfields market for them and they’ll need to follow Fonterra’s brands-led approach.

“Yet the rapid appreciation of the Kiwi dollar against the Ringgit could kneecap price competitiveness for exporters, tourism and the services sector alike. The Kiwis rollercoaster ride is taking some of the gloss off.

“It’s a genuine concern that since March, we’ve seen the Kiwi go from buying RM$1.85 to RM2.52 today. That’s an increase of almost 37 percent in just the last eight months. It highlights how imbalances in New Zealand’s fiscal policy settings impact exporters.

“Overall the importance of this FTA to New Zealand is underlined by the Prime Minister being in Kuala Lumpur with the Hon Tim Groser to sign it. That is a significant statement in the strength of the relationship as this FTA will most certainly be ‘bagus’ for our respective economies," Mr Nicolson concluded.

OCR risks ‘irrelevancy’ as Government spending caned

2009-10-27T08:11:00.000+13:00

26 October 2009

OCR risks ‘irrelevancy’ as Government spending caned

Ahead of Thursday’s official cash rate (OCR) decision, Federated Farmers is restating the need to cut the OCR by 50 basis points to prevent a ‘W’ shaped recession. The Federation is also warning the Government that its fiscal policy settings are undermining monetary policy and putting at risk the OCR as a policy tool.

“The Government’s spending and debt growth is delaying a necessary rebalancing of the economy. This makes it extremely hard for the Reserve Bank to do its job of implementing monetary policy,” says Philip York, Federated Farmers economics and commerce spokesperson.

“Of primary concern is the effect of these policies on the dollar. Federated Farmers fair value for the Kiwi dollar is in the US60 to 65 cent range but in trying to insulate the domestic economy, the Government could be restarting a credit fuelled bubble.

“Government borrowing is running at some $250 million every week or more than a billion dollars a month.

“This domestic stimulation along with ‘good news stories’ are stoking the Kiwi dollar ever higher. New Zealand is sucking in Euros, Yen and whatever currency investors choose to park in order to get some of the best yields in the OECD.

“Anyone with exposure to the international economy is being crucified by the high dollar. The need for action is not just about farmers’ interests but serving the interests of all exporters and tourism operators alike.

“We’re the ones who pay New Zealand’s way in the world after all yet all we hear from Government is self-congratulatory statements over how we are now in recovery.

“The issue for exporters is that demand for debt, whether led by the private sector or by Government, is undermining monetary policy and risks making the OCR irrelevant.

“A number of farmers got caught up in this debt exuberance. But a majority are now focussing on retiring debt while increasing productivity. The key word for all exporters is productivity but to date, Government’s fiscal policy is harming, rather than encouraging, exporters.

“If the Government believes its own rhetoric of an export led recovery then some hard decisions are needed immediately. The first order of business is to wind-back these so-called stimulus policies, given the recession has apparently ended.

“Turning off billions in spending and debt may start abating demand for the Kiwi dollar. Tactically, a cut to the OCR on Thursday may open up clear air between the New Zealand and Australian economies. We need to decouple the Kiwi from the Aussie dollar.

“Since 10 September, doing nothing has only seen the Kiwi smash through the US70 cent barrier to threaten US80 cents. The choice is either a short dose of reality now or the abyss when the economy inevitably crashes into a ‘W’ shaped recession,” Mr York concluded.

A week of it featuring cattle lice and ridiculous rules I made up in my head

2009-10-25T21:07:00.000+13:00

Sometimes we have to stop and make some hard decisions that aren't nice to make. When it comes to living on a farm - some decisions are even harder than others. For me a very difficult decision had to be made about two of the animals here on the farm. Micah our bull is now a two year old. After running rampage in Terry's paddock for three days and being downright dangerous to approach - we finally have him back and contained. Bulls can never be trusted regardless of how quiet they are. He's quiet for now but in another few days I have no doubt he'll get wind of Terry's Dairy herd again and start roaring again - that's when he is a problem. Only one decision can be made now and that's putting him down. There is no other option but to do that. I read stuff on the internet from animal welfare organisations who say farming is cruel. They like to make out that all farming is wrong and shouldn't be happening. I disagree with some farming practices - but in the main most are ethical and properly managed. Micah is going into the freezer - that's life. We have three bull calves here that shortly will be castrated for obvious reasons. I think those who say castration of calves is cruel should have a rethink. Bulls are dangerous - more so at breeding time. I never enter the paddock without a cattle stick in my hand with Micah to do so would invite serious injury - he isn't predictable. As many of my farming friends know never trust a bull - ever. Time for him to go.

29 years old and slowing no signs of slowing down. Our old man Edward

The second decision was even harder to make. Sasha our 23 year old Thoroughbred mare had been having problems with her joints. Her age was catching up with her. The weather here has been awful to say the least. Unpredictable weather has made it difficult . Rock and a hard place. She was having trouble walking. I had to go and get her out of the bush the other day because she couldn't come up for her feed. It took a while to walk her slowly out. Franz came on Thursday to trim her feet and sadly shook his head. He felt Sasha was nearing her time and so did I. I hate having to make hard decisions. I had Sasha around the house here so she didn't have to walk too far to have her feed and we had plenty of grass for her. But it was all too clear Sasha was fighting a losing battle with her age and her joints were causing her pain. I couldn't stand it any longer. Thanks to a good friend we were able to arrange for Sasha to have a comfortable slow trip in a horse float to a farm where she was humanely euthanised then buried. Inaya was devastated and so was I but it was the right decision. Sasha is resting now and no longer in pain. Edward our other old horse is missing her of course. He is in fantastic health and at nearly 30 is showing no signs of slowing down. One day I might have to make that same decision for him too. Not easy to do.

Cattle Lice!!!!!!!

The Cattle Louse, Haematopinus eurysternus.

I hate cattle lice and this year the nasty little beggars are really at their worst. Everyone has been having problems with the pests. The best option is a pour-on lice treatment for cattle and deer. We'll be applying a product called Eprinex which is a rainfast pour-on. If you're on a small block in New Zealand and have never had cattle here's the main clue for spotting if your cattle have lice. Hair falling out is a prime sign - your cattle won't look so pretty with bald patches for a while until the hair grows back. The lice are quite easily spotted being small and brown - similar to the headlice children get. Your local vet should have a 250ml lifestyle pack pour-on for cattle and deer. Eprinex is very effective and also treats several types of worm parasite.

RULES I MADE UP IN MY HEAD

Rules for Kiwi Lifestyle (Life Sentence) Blocks - tongue in cheek version made up in my head of course but they are useful and truthful - disregard those silly comments in brackets it wasn't me it was someone else (Why is my nose growing?)

Be nice to your neighbours. If you're nice when you need help they'll be the first to lend a hand (Are those hippies next door...hmmph!)
Don't ever think you can learn everything from a book. Get advice from those who know what farming is about and listen to them they know far more than you do. (I read in...)
Possums are not cute they are nasty pests - kill them with traps or shoot them (But...!)
That little calf your kids are raising for calf club ends up growing big and becoming a cow. Be heartless and eat it or you'll end up with too many pets (guilty as charged)
Yes cows smell - so what don't complain (where's my nose peg)
Cow poo on the road can be washed off - don't make life hard for the poor dairy farmer who has a road splitting his property in two and has to cross his cows over to get to the shed. (Which is why they wrote letters to Transit NZ who told the councils the farmers had to fork out stash for 'permits')
Yes the droning noise is a plane fertilising your farmer neighbour's land - we get buzzed several times a day here- get used to it. (Really how inconsiderate of them!)
5 horses, several cows and many sheep on ten acres = SPCA or MAF visit in winter plus a huge feed bill. Don't over stock your property. (But my kids love all the animals?)
Free range hens sound delightful - until you step outside in your good shoes and stand in chicken poo - pen them in then you'll find their eggs as well. (Oh chickie..I have a nice roasting pan for you to sit in..)
Silage stinks - get used to that too. Cattle have to eat in winter. (But it's.....smelly!)
Get your hay ordered well in advance. Get more than you need you can always use it later if it's kept dry or you'll end up paying through the nose for it when you really need it. ($30 for a bale of crappy hay? You have got to be kidding! Nope you're not kidding)
Maintaining a block of land is expensive be prepared to pay out loads of stash - backache is common. (Then there was the weed killer course you had to fork out $300 for because the government said you needed to be an approved handler for sprays)
New Zealand winters are wet horrible affairs - you still have to feed out and still get to work on time. (Or end up with some nosy sod sticking their beak out of their car window, then complaining to the SPCA and you will get an unwanted visit even though you are feeding your animals - premise "A lack of Grass" neither has anyone else)
Remember all those preset notions you had? The nice post and rail fences? The keeping everything manicured and the idyllic perfect country life? - be prepared for a big shock. Post and rail fences cost the earth, the sheep ate your garden and you found out the supermarket is an hour's drive away. Welcome to the sticks (I'm going to stay with mother!)

Editorial - Keep the politics out and let the courts decide

2009-10-23T08:49:00.007+13:00

I loved my visit Zion Wildlife Gardens at the end of July of this year. It's public knowledge the park is embroiled in a bitter dispute with "Lionman" Craig Busch over control of the facility. Fan Pages have been formed on the social media network Facebook. Fingers have been pointed and accusations made - to the degree of being absolutely ludicrous. It is ludicrous in every way shape and form. Had it not involved the front person for a television series that lasted only three seasons then perhaps the media coverage would not have been so intense - in New Zealand that is.

Mr Busch has flown to Denmark to make an appearance at Naestved Zoo while on the same day a media release came out about his counterclaim being filed in the High Court. The battle is continuing between the parties involved and sadly that has been dragged out across the pages of Facebook. Mr Busch has the right to travel to Europe unhindered - just as those in the Zoo Profession have the right to question his methods - as some have done. It is one thing to have one zoo professional question a colleague - it is another for someone not in the industry to go putting up discussion topics, that include as part of the title header "seasoned professional or old fart - you decide". The person referred to namely Peter Dickinson has over 46 years in the zoo profession and is highly respected internationally. That he has his own strong opinions concerning Mr Busch, is no secret and he has the right - just as Mr Busch has the right to state his opinions - as does Zion Wildlife Gardens Ltd. What caused this "discussion" topic?. The article below from the Northern Advocate from October 19 - concerning the declawing of the cats at Zion Wildlife Gardens in which Peter Dickinson is quoted, as well as current Park Operator and Licence Holder Tim Husband. MAF completed an investigation of this and furnished the report in February of 2009

Peter Dickinson had also recently wrote a post about Craig Busch on his Hub Blog - his opinions on Mr Busch were strong to say the least. A facebook user had then posted the link to Mr Dickinson's blog on the Facebook page for Craig Busch. This instantly invited an unwarranted and viscous attack on Mr Dickinson for stating his opinions the comment below is an example of this

Zoo Keeper / Peter / Dopey
You all talk crap - No prize for guessing who you lot are

Do you like victimizing a man who has worked long and hard, and has had his life ripped apart because of cruel jealous greedy deceitful people?

Abdullah and Cleo recovering from their declawing operations

Reproduced by the kind permission of Zion Wildlife Gardens Limited

Whilst Mr Dickinson's opinions were strong, he still did not deserve the degree of insults and slander he has received from the fans of Mr Busch. Name calling is ridiculous to say the least. I've witnessed many referrals to the park operator Tim Husband as "Mr Tongs" Timmy Tongs "Troutface" Mrs Patricia Busch as "Busch Pig" along with photos of pigs and hippos being posted "A witch" Megan Busch the sister of Mr Busch as "Megan the Mouth". The posting of so called "dirt' on Tim Husband concerning his background in Zoo Husbandry and management, the disclosure of an apparent court appearance by Ms Busch in relation to an alleged tyre slashing incident - of which there is no public record to verify this. The disclosure on this same issue that the case was dismissed on the grounds of lack of evidence - and yet there has been no regard that this may be a possible case of a breach of Ms Busch's personal privacy. A document was also furnished by the same revelation giver, of a wish list supplied to the Kamo Business Association that was not meant for public consumption, but rather as leaflet for the members of that association. Both of these issues were posted for only one reason and one reason only - malicious intent. I find that level of behaviour totally unethical and it should not be allowed to occur on any Social Media network.

On the other side of things Facebook users who are not supporters of Mr Busch have also antagonised by posting inflammatory links and comments onto the fanpage concerned and vice-versa. 99.9% of the users on both Fanpages are intelligent ethical people who have strong opinions on what should and should not be best for the running of Zion Wildlife Gardens as an ongoing concern - then, there are the minimal .01% of fanpage members who do not deserve anyone's time. These people are less than informed and have an egotistical mannerism that is nothing short of contemptuous. These are the name callers, the ones who state things as "fact" with erroneous and often idiotic statements then cannot back up their arguments - this on both sides of the fence and not just one. These people the .01% are the ones who make the majority look bad - they are antagonistic, ill-informed and will resort to insults and threats on a publicly visible website without any regard to the opinions of other users. They do not deserve anyone's time. I have been accused by one user of supposedly attempting to sabotage Mr Busch's trip to Europe - just one problem with that, it would be very time consuming indeed to persue such a notion. Mr Busch has every right to travel and visit where and whom he chooses. That I don't agree with his methods - does not mean that I would willfully go out and tell Zoos not to host Mr Busch. That is the work of other people based overseas and nothing to do with me. I have an opinion I am allowed to state it - just as others are allowed to express theirs - with reasoned thought - not pathetic name calling and accusations that have no grounding in fact.

One thing I know we are all agreed upon and that is the cats welfare is paramount. What I disagree on is that the park is not being run properly as some have claimed. MAF did a very recent inspection and gave the Park a bright report. Tim Husband the park operator is not a replacement for Mr Busch - he is there to run the park, not to get involved with ridiculous accusations and attacks by people who should know better. None of the staff, or the animals at the park should even be dragged into what has become a circus of opinions on the internet. It is wrong and it should not be happening. The more people attack the park, its management and staff, the more it discredits those people doing the attacks, and the pages they represent or are members of. Should people attack Mr Busch on the basis of the drug taking and cub killing allegations? No they should not - because they are unsubstantiated and should not be stated as fact. These are heresay nothing more.

Let the park get on with the business of being a facility for wildlife and the New Zealand Justice System deal with the business of the issues between the parties involved. Fans should be fans - not self proclaimed experts. Below are the links for the documents related to the issues. Namely the MAF Investigation report on the declawings, ERA report concerning Mr Busch's application for Interim Reinstatement, and the Judgement Summary from the High Courts of New Zealand for Mr Busch's application for an interim injunction. These three government documents are unbiased, they contain all of the facts and background to the issues between the parties concerned. There is also a version of the background from Mr Busch's side of things. However I have found this to be emotive and one-sided rather than absolute 'fact' but that is my opinion only.

Ten Minutes to take effect - would you wait that long to save a human life from a tiger attack?

2009-10-11T09:47:00.006+13:00

Rewa - A White Bengal Tigress at Zion Wildlife Gardens

When I visited Zion Wildlife Gardens at the end of July of this year, it was exactly two months since the very tragic death of cat handler Dalu Mncube, whom had been attacked and killed by a white Bengal tiger named Abu. This is a very sensitive and painful issue for the people who were witness to the attack and for his close friends, family and the park. Abu the tiger had been destroyed and the public were demanding to know why this was so. The New Zealand Herald raised this issue on their website. People were up in arms believing an 'endangered species' of tiger had been destroyed without good reason.

Questions were asked concerning why a tranquiliser wasn't used.

The answer wasn't ever given by the NZ Herald on that nor at the time could anyone involved in the incident be expected to answer such a question. I found that answer after some research into the total amount of time it would have actually taken for a tranquiliser to work on an adult male Bengal Tiger. The euthanising of any animal is a sensitive and emotive issue however in this case, the decision to shoot Abu was a matter of urgency.

The following quotation is from an article written in 2005 concerning the shooting of a large male tiger in the USA. The link to this article can be found at the bottom of this post under References.

Martin Dinnes, a consulting veterinarian to the Shambala Preserve in Acton, said the trackers could have planned for the moment and avoided killing the cat. A tiger's behavior after being tranquilized, he said, is predictable. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a tiger will run 50 to 100 yards from the source, then begin to slow, Dinnes said. It will lose consciousness in about 10 minutes, and even that can by reduced by over-tranquilizing it, he said.
- Martin Dinnes D.V.M

And this Quotation from an article concerning the tranquilising and collaring of wild tigers by Field Scientist Adam Barlow. The link to the related article is also found under References

I fired and heard a ‘thwack’. The tiger leapt into the air towards me with a roar and we retreated to let the drug take effect. Six minutes later the tiger was out cold. We removed the snare and went to work, monitoring the tiger’s temperature and breathing, while measuring it and fitting the collar. As soon as I looked at her teeth I knew she was very old. All the teeth were orange with age and many were broken or totally missing. She was also light, only 75 kg, and I was surprised she could have lived so long (she was probably over 14 years old).
- Field Scientist Adam Barlow

I believe these two quotations by two very competent and well respected persons who work in
the field with big cats are more than proof that the decision made by the park to euthanise the tiger concerned was the right one to do. Dalu Mncube died within a few short minutes of the attack occurring. They could not get the tiger to release him- not realising at the time he had already passed away from the serious injuries caused by the tigers 3 inch long incisors. With a tranquiliser dart taking up to ten minutes to work - it was not a practical solution. A bullet is instant - a tranquiliser is not. The public were not there (except for those who were witness to the incident) nor should they stand in judgement of the decision that had to be made - in that none of us have any right to do. The investigation into the incident by The NZ Department of Labour and other related authorities has not yet been concluded at the time of writing.

REFERENCES

Simi Valley Tiger Killed

The Not-so mysterious death of Jamtola Rani