14 April 2010
Factoring in the price of carbon, water availability and the expected rapid growth in demand from our Asian neighbours for food and fibre will be all in a day's work for New Zealand farmers in the not-too-distant future.
Equipping young farmers with the nous and know-how to effectively manage macro agricultural issues as they arise will be one of the key focuses of Rabobank’s Farm Managers Program in 2010, says Neil Dobbin, group executive country banking for specialist agribusiness lender Rabobank.
“Agricultural markets are evolving at such a rapid pace that tomorrow's farm leaders will need to master the art of change management in order to prosper,” says Mr Dobbin.
“They'll need to anticipate and address the 'big trains' that are coming around the corner. For example, for dairy farmers this might mean working out at what point a future carbon tax will impact on their profitability and plans to cater to the increased demand from China.
“The Farm Managers Program not only provides a forum for young farmers from across New Zealand and Australia to discuss these challenging issues, but also how to drive the strategic direction of their farm business to proactively handle change before it begins to adversely affect their bottom line.”
The 2010 Rabobank Farm Managers Program will be held at Clear Mountain Lodge in Brisbane, Australia from 18 to 22 October, with the number of participants limited to 36. The program, which is now in its fifth year, is modelled on the bank's highly-respected Executive Development Program (EDP) and aims to strengthen the operational and strategic skills of tomorrow's farm leaders, covering topics around leadership, business planning, financial and economic management and succession planning.
Rabobank business programs manager Skye Ward says the five-day residential course has received considerable praise from past participants. “Last year's graduates gave the course a satisfaction rating of five out of five,” says Ms Ward.
Scott Levings, who completed the Rabobank Farm Managers Program in 2009 and manages a 640-cow dairy operation in Central Otago, says the agricultural focus of the program was what initially drew him to it.
“Unlike most of the attendees, I had not grown up on a farm and my earlier career was in engineering,” he says.
“The FMP is perfect because it is directly geared towards farm management and, although there are many similarities across management, there are also a number of nuances in agriculture that other sectors do not have to deal with.”
Mr Levings manages a dairy farm that is owned by his parents-in-law Gaynor and Grant Scott, who have both attended Rabobank's Executive Development Program. He says his father-in-law's enthusiasm for Rabobank's business management programs encouraged him to attend.
“Grant came back from the course very enthused about the business and now I can see why. The mixture of farm-focused courses and great networking opportunities has really encouraged me to continue to develop and improve our farming enterprise.
“Since attending the course I am also more aware of how our business decisions affect staff and, although we have always been staff focused, I have definitely sought to increase communication. We have now started having weekly farm meetings to ensure that everyone's on the same page and also to give staff the opportunity to discuss any issues they may be having.
“If you are a farm manager who wants to find a way to focus on your business I would advise attending the FMP. The program will highlight areas of weakness that you can improve on and whatever your goal is – whether it's profitability, HR or work/life balance – you will be given the tools to develop skills and improve your operations.”
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 110 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 46 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1600 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is one of Australasia’s leading rural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 83 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
To arrange an interview with Rabobank general manager Rural Australia Peter Knoblanche, or for more information on Rabobank’s Rural Confidence Survey, please contact:
Media contact:
Denise Shaw
Public Relations Manager
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525
Email:
denise.shaw@rabobank.com