Farmers seek lead from Govt

BY LAURA BASHAM

Agriculture Minister David Carter was challenged to provide leadership in the divided meat and wool industry at a meeting of 100 farmers in Tapawera yesterday.

Mr Carter told the farmers they too had to step up and make their voices heard, and he hinted that consolidation was in line for the fragmented wool industry.

Tui sheep and beef farmers Don and Kaye Register organised the meeting at the Tapawera Hotel because of frustration at low wool and meat returns.

Mr Carter said to see so many turn up showed how stressed many sheep and beef farmers were, and that was the case around the country. However, he believed they were on the cusp of the most exciting time for food producers because of the increasing global food demand, and New Zealand's ability to satisfy consumer demand for food security.

Mrs Register told the meeting that wool was becoming a sunset industry as more producers opted out of the sector, yet exporters still acted as if there were no problems.

She called for a return to a single desk seller and a stop to continual warring between wool co-operatives that reduced overseas confidence in farmers' wool. However, when the meeting was asked who wanted a single desk seller, only six put up their hands.

Mr Carter said they did not have to go as far as a single desk, but it could help if they got a better co-operative in the market for wool.

He appointed a wool sector taskforce last October to help steer the future direction of the wool industry. The taskforce has produced a draft report and the final report is due to go Mr Carter next week.

Mr Carter had invited the 35 industry representatives who attended last year's wool summit to meet on February 16 to debate the taskforce's conclusions.

"I am hoping the industry will move to consolidate.

"I'm not talking about just the sale end of the product but that the whole industry will stop fighting amongst itself."

Mr Carter said he had been impressed with the draft report. "I think there is an opportunity from this to get some common ground amongst wool grower leaders and that has to then lead to reinstilling some confidence back on the farm for sheep farmers that their product has a future."

Tadmor farmer Roy Bensemann told Mr Carter he needed to give some leadership because the industry was so divided. Mr Carter said he accepted that responsibility, but industry leaders also had a responsibility and they had to step up too.

Farmers were shareholders in the meat companies. "Make your voice heard," he said.

Mr Bensemann said: "The Government has got to come out and steer this thing because the companies have their vested interests. The industry as a whole has to be looked after, whether it is wool or meat. You have got those reports, it's all right saying you've done your thing by setting up the taskforce, you've got to come out and start driving it."

Appleby farmer Fergus O'Connor said: "Unless the Government get some guts and does something really positive I can see the demise of the wool industry altogether."

Mr Carter said he would continue doing what he could to influence the profitability of farmers and work with the meat industry. "I have a passion to try and see if we can salvage the strong wool industry before it is too late."

After the meeting, Mrs Register said: "It's not as easy as Mr Carter saying farmers need to pull their finger out because it's such a complex issue. Farmers need to get together, and if a single desk is not the answer maybe we need an accord amongst the companies."

- © Fairfax NZ News