I’ve witnessed a strong, focused organisation and one with a distinct lack of focus.
Currently, in my view, Feds are as strong as they’ve ever been.
They are well led, their staff contains a good mix of youth and experience and the policy and communications teams are second to none.
I believe Federated Farmers is becoming increasingly important because of its advocacy role. That advocacy allows us to continue farming. Without it we would be in some difficulty.
Until this weeks’ conference I hadn’t realised just how busy they are.
At local and regional government levels Feds have had input into 68 long-term council plans. Without that input we’d be on a hiding to nothing.
There are 22 different pieces of legislation before Parliament that Federated Farmers is having input into. Again, without that co-ordinated input, we’d be stuffed. You and I can’t do it.
On top of all that they have input into issues as diversified as rural broadband, rural roading, freedom camping, adverse events and rural fire, skills training and immigration.
On the vexed subject of greenhouse gases and the Emissions Trading Scheme they are having some major wins.
They do all that on an income of less than $9 million.
This year the conference had a vibrant feel to it.
President Katie Milne gave an introduction covering the work the federation is doing with the new Government, the response to Mycoplasma bovis, biosecurity and trade issues or wars.
She pointed out the issues facing farmers need to be hit head on. “We mustn’t think of them as challenges we can overcome. Farmers need to have an open mind to meet those new challenges.”
Milne comes across as a strong, consultative leader who has presence and tells it how it is without bluff and bluster.
Guest speaker Brian Richards was similarly impressive. He pointed out we’ve spent 120 years doing more for less and that now is the time to reverse that and do less for more.
He saud New Zealand’s target market is just 2% of 1.5 billion people. They are sophisticated and live in cities.
You could write a book on his presentation and he did. He threatened most of what is sacred to traditional farming and good on him for doing that. He obviously knew exactly what he was talking about.
The response from the farmers I spoke to was overwhelmingly positive.
He said the NZ agribusiness industry is a dispirited collection of tribes without any form of common focus and he’s right.
Richards believes we are playing at marketing our product and, again, I agree.
So, good on Feds for getting a speaker who rattled cages. The issue is that more than anything else they need leaders to change and Feds are the only outfit capable of providing them.
I was also most impressed with the attendance at the after match function, especially with the number of politicians attending.
Kieran McAnulty, a Labour List MP who sits on the Primary Production Select Committee, was really positive about Federated Farmers.
“Every interaction I’ve had with them has been positive. They’ve shown a willingness to work with the Government.
“The situation over Mycoplasma bovis is witness to that.
“Locally in Wairarapa Federated Farmers have shown a real willingness to engage with us,” he said.
It was good to catch up with Damien O’Connor and Nathan Guy and Clare Curran is impressive as was Louise Upston.
The person who took centre stage for me was acting Prime Minister Winston Peters.
He said how pleased he was to be at the conference, which was predictable, then congratulated farmers for their efforts to clean up our waterways, which wasn’t.
He then thanked farmers for their efforts preserving and promoting our clean green image. He gave Fonterra a flick but from a factual perspective as he did with Silver Fern Farms. He certainly gave the impression of understanding our sector.
And he talked trade and the opportunities with the European Union.
Peters then told us how the Government is committed to working with the rural sector to move forward.
I hadn’t heard those sentiments for a while.
After his address he spent some time talking to farmers and mixing with the agribusiness crowd, which was appreciated.
Federated Farmers are punching above their weight. They are well led and well administered.
My one concern is how they are going to continue funding all their advocacy work. That work, as I’ve mentioned, enables you and I to keep farming.
Maybe we can discuss that next week along with the proposed Beef + Lamb NZ levy increase.
