Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) have signed a funding agreement with the Growing Future Farmers (GFF) Essential Farm Skills Programme, helping attract and train more young people in the red meat sector. The GFF Programme offers a range of specialised industry training and development opportunities across the country including formal New Zealand Qualifications Authority […]
Employment
Economic Week – 15 October
by Nick Clark, Manager General Policy Government finances better than expected The Government’s accounts for the last financial year are out and they show a lower deficit, higher tax take, and lower net debt than forecast in Budget 2021. Core Crown tax revenue for the year ended 30 June 2021 amounted to $97.98 billion, $6.44 […]
Sensible solution to desperate time keeping workers on farm
Sighs of relief all round at Federated Farmers after the announcement of a clear and achievable residency process for international workers and their families. “I am delighted. This gives 9000 of the workers who have stayed on to help run our farms some certainty about their future,” Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says. “And […]
Return to FPAs spells disruption, workplace inflexibility
By Nick Clark, Federated Farmers Manager General Policy OPINION: As a decade, the 1970s would not go down as one of the better ones. A time of garish wallpaper, loud shirts, ridiculous hairstyles, and carless days, it was also a time of economic stress and decline. Rampant inflation, periods of recession, ballooning unemployment, and mounting […]
Jeremy Baker to lead primary sector workforce council
The Muka Tangata Workforce Development Council has appointed Jeremy Baker as its Chief Executive. Jeremy is currently Chief Insight Officer at Beef + Lamb New Zealand and has held senior leadership roles in industry, government, and the education and training sector. Workforce Development Councils are being established through the Reform of Vocational Education and come […]
Economic Week – September 10
Commodity prices slip. The ANZ Commodity Price Index was down again in August but it’s still well ahead of the same time last year and remains near its record high set in June. The World Price Index was down 1.6% in August compared to July, following a 1.7% decline over the previous month. The Index […]
Feds backs the butcher, the baker, and the greengrocer – again
Federated Farmers says the government needs to reconsider and let small business fresh food sellers stay open under level 4. Last year Federated Farmers national president Andrew Hoggard was vocal about Feds’ position. “We pleaded for common sense to prevail, we have had over one year to sort this out – yet it is not.” New […]
200 exemptions for dairy workers – token at best
I have been working behind the scenes and in the media around staff shortages and reuniting families of our migrant staff in my sector. I do this because I see it as part of my responsibility I choose to take on as sharemilker Chair for Southland Federated Farmers, trying to get the government to see […]
Farmer confidence holds but workforce concerns deepen
The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey shows positiveness around economic conditions but deepening concern about the ability to plug workforce gaps. The survey, carried out by Research First in early July and drawing responses from 1,422 farmers, showed a net 18% of respondents considered the current economic conditions to be ‘good’, a 12.4 point […]
Celebrate dairy farmers this Farm Worker Appreciation Day
Today is Farm Worker Appreciation Day (August 6), where Kiwis are encouraged to pay tribute to the dedicated workers on our farms. DairyNZ general manager responsible dairy Jenny Cameron says Farm Worker Appreciation Day provides the opportunity to celebrate the success, dedication, and contribution of our farmers. “Our farmers undertake a lot of work on […]