Call for head’s head

 In a letter to Minister Steven Joyce and copied to numerous other parties last week, Hugh Gardyne, past chair of the Southern Texel Breeders Association and a past president of Southland Federated Farmers, says Tom Richardson should be asked for his resignation owing to AgResearch’s “lack of genuine consultation” over the relocation of sheep research facilities and scientists from Invermay to Lincoln under its Future Footprint Proposal (FFP).

Farmers’ fears that the move would see many scientists leave AgResearch are proving correct and even if the people were retained, Lincoln would still not be a suitable environment to conduct research that’s relevant to most New Zealand sheep farms, Gardyne argues.

He also says AgResearch has failed to account for the potential of Invermay which currently carries less than a third of the 3000 stock units it could.

These concerns have been well documented and long since presented to AgResearch with requests for revision, but have been ignored, as have requests for an external review of FFP, says Gardyne. 

Even recommendations by AgResearch’s own Change Management Team that the genomic and reproductive science teams remain at Invermay have been overruled.

“We’ve been through all the steps,” Gardyne told Rural News, when asked why Richardson’s resignation is necessary.

Gardyne also criticises AgResearch’s board which he says needs to “fully understand the business” and asks the Minister to act on a motion passed at a consultation meeting in Gore in March that the Minister instigates an independent external review of the FFP and of an enhanced status quo alternative.

“We want the case for the retention of the sheep production unit, scientists and staff at Invermay to be fully reviewed and we supporters heard. Re-thinking the future of Invermay is about delivering the best sheep science to fulfil the government’s expectations for primary industry growth in NZ. Aspects of the FFP are commendable but re-locating sheep production science from Invermay to Lincoln should be deleted.”

Steven Joyce’s involvement is as Minister of Science and Innovation. He told Rural News he would be acting on Gardyne’s letter, but only as far as referring it to AgResearch’s board to get a response and to get the board’s view on the content.

“The real measure is who is prepared to fund their work… I am not going to intervene because a certain stakeholder group thinks that’s what I should do.”

AgResearch’s FFP was the result of a “pretty robust process that was strongly contested and they [AgResearch] have said to me they continue to be open to new initiatives.”

Gardyne’s letter calls for Beef + Lamb New Zealand to “step up” as the principle funding source for sheep research, with processor co-funding.

At the recent Beef + Lamb Genetics Sheep Breeders Forum in Dunedin, BLG chairman Chris Kelly said a funding commitment for the research done by the Invermay scientists had been made, but it could not dictate where that research is done.

“I am not saying we have any control over the move from Invermay to Lincoln but we will do our best.”

AgResearch Responds

An AgResearch spokesperson told Rural News Tom Richardson “has absolutely no intention of resigning” and that the Change Management Team Gardyne refers to was not a senior management body.

“It was formed during the consultation process to collate and summarise the feedback of staff who made submissions and then disbanded.”

Of 33 CMT recommendations “the vast majority were acted on by senior leadership.”

AgResearch also denies reports of nine research resignations from Invermay since the relocation announcement are incorrect. 

“Over the last 12 months four staff involved in sheep research have left and three staff in the same area have been recruited,” spokesman Tom Fraser says.

“Our staff underpin everything we do. While we are determined to retain our staff, we do have staff turnover – like any other organisation. We continue to monitor, manage and review recruitment, staff retention and succession planning activities to manage and mitigate any risks.”

As for whether relocation of sheep research to Lincoln would be reconsidered; AgResearch says there had been wide consultation and the changes in the FFP are the best solutions and for the sector long term.

“AgResearch’s priority is good science that benefits farmers and the pastoral sector and we remain confident that we will have the best possible solution to meet this. As a ‘stakeholder driven’ organisation we are always responsive to new opportunities which may further influence our plans.”