Christmas gift for farmers
The repeal of Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) legislation by the new Government will be a great Christmas gift for farmers and rural service businesses, claims Federated Farmers.
Farmers are being warned that the proposed fair pay agreements (FPAs) could cause upheaval in the agriculture sector.
Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope claims the Government will target all sectors with FPAs.
He wants the agriculture sector to join its campaign 'Your Work, Your Way' in opposing the final FPAs regulations passing in Parliament.
Hope told Rural News that the proposed legislation means an FPA will become compulsory once either 10% of the sector workforce or 1000 workers are signed up.
"For the farming sector, say each farm has five workers it will be relatively easy for organisers to reach 1,000 workers.
"It may take a little bit of organising but there are unions and groups who have started mobilising workers to join FPAs."
But Hope points out that the legislation to pass in Parliament soon will let FPAs apply to just about any sector, including the farming sector.
"So, it could certainly be forced on the entire farming sector."
Hope says collective bargaining is currently almost unknown in the farm sector.
"Not being bogged down in collective bargaining has helped contribute to NZ farming's great economic success. It would be a tragedy if a FPA was unleashed on the farming sector."
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.