By: Farming Show staff | Thursday, June 07, 2012 8:22 AM

Friday 8 June 2012—10:06am: New Tony Alexander column



Thank god it's Friday, and thank god for another Tony Alexander column. This week, the BNZ's chief economist and Farming Show financial guru explains how difficult it is to predict anything in an economy. 

________________________________________     
Thursday 7 June 2012—10:55am: Gone 'an got that thar quad bike stuck. 

There's stupid, and then there's taking your quad bike through a bog. 

________________________________________    
Thursday 7 June 2012—9:20am: Oh, hey! Did you hear about TAF? We're Fonterra. Have you heard about TAF? Hi! We're Fonterra. 

Fonterra is adamant that it’s crossed every t and dotted every i en-route to bringing its Trading Among Farmers scheme to life.

In fact, the dairy giant is so adamant it’s right, it’s devoted a 13 paragraph, 461 word press release to saying so.

This comes a nearly a week after Fonterra’s top brass met with news media to painstakingly explain everything that’s contained within said press release.

Sayeth new shareholders council chair Ian brown:  

“In the heat of debate about TAF, it was easy to lose sight of the constitutional protections shielding 100% farmer control and ownership and the integrity of the Farmgate Milk Price.”

Let’s see this for what this is: a carefully constructed piece of strategy. Farmers have had time to consider and digest one of the three summaries of the scheme.

And just in case they have any doubts, here’s 461 words to throw their fears over the fence. Again.

One has to wonder why a body so adamant a scheme will pass, with 90 per cent support last time it was touted, is doing this. Isn’t it a done deal? A slam dunk?

But the answer is simple: they want a mandate. Fifty per cent isn’t good enough, and I dare say anything south of 75 isn’t either.

So they’ll push, they’ll re-iterate, they’ll explain, they’ll allay, until they get 90 per cent. Or something close to it. 

________________________________________   
Thursday 7 June 2012—8:30am: Feds change water forum 

As the snow turns to ice in Canterbury, Federated Farmers is advising those trundling along to their water forum in Ashburton that the show gets under way at 10:30am this morning. 

Also:

"The political forum will proceed at a revised agenda time with the Hon Nick Smith MP, Eugenie Sage MP and Richard Prosser MP.  The Hon Damien O’Connor MP cannot make the forum due to road conditions."

________________________________________  
Wednesday 6 June 2012—4:48pm: Snow way out

Venus may still be in transit, but the folk in Canterbury are anything but. If you've got any photos of snow at your place, send them in. 

Meanwhile, this brilliant Metservice weather reporter explains what's ahead for farmers in the next day or so. 

________________________________________  
Wednesday 6 June 2012—12:25pm: LIVE TO THE WORLD! 

Can't get to the wireless, and long for the gentle embrace of Senor Mackay's farm-related entertainment programme? Click "Listen Live" to... well... listen live. 

________________________________________ 
Wednesday 6 June 2012—11:23am: A Cra-too-far? 

Things have gone from bad to worse for the broken down Crafar farms, with news receiver fees have ticked over the $7 million mark... and climbing. 

In the previous six month billing period to October last year, the receivers' fees were $1 million, at the time taking KordaMentha's bill for the Crafar farm receivership to more than $6m.

Legal fees for the October 5 to April 4 were $321,858, taking the legal bill tally to $4.7m.

The central and southern North Island dairy farm estate operated by four companies was put into receivership by its bankers and financiers in October 2009.

As at April this year total bank debt owing financiers was $274m. 

(Stuff.co.nz) 

Meanwhile, Farming Show contributor Professor Jacqueline Rowarth explains why you—yes, you—should care about the Fieldays. 

________________________________________
Wednesday 6 June 2012—9:35am: In the muck of it all. 

Federated Farmers has issued a strong reproach to a story published in the Dominion Post about the number of farmers prosecuted for "dirty dairying". They're holding a water forum in Ashburton tomorrow to hammer out details on the way cockies use water

Sayeth the Feds: "This is a counterpoint to the front page of Dominion Post effectively tagging all farmers as polluters. The 198 companies or individuals involved over four years are a fraction of New Zealand's 11,735 dairy herds.

But are the number of prosecutions are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Farming Show online contributor John Hart. 

@barnaclebarnes @FedFarmers That's the 2.5% dumb or arrogant enough to be caught by unmotivated councils - they ARE the tip of the iceberg

— John Hart (@farmgeek) June 5, 2012

________________________________________

Wednesday 6 June 2012—8:30am: New blog, and sweet relief for dairy farmers. 

Welcome in to the Farming Show's new daily blog. We'll be updating with news, views, links, and other bits and pieces. It's all rather exciting. 

The big news over night was a 13.5 per cent rise in dairy commodity prices, which is sure to provide some relief to cow cockies after a three year low.  

For the full details, check out the site itself.