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The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is an applied research and information transfer organisation responsible primarily to New Zealand arable growers.

There are over 2,700 farmers in New Zealand involved in arable cropping activities, with combined farm gate sales of approximately NZ $1Bn, including cereal grains, pulses, maize grain and specialised seed crops for export and domestic markets. Annual crops are grown from the northernmost parts of New Zealand down to Southland, with maize being the dominant crop in the North Island whereas cereal grains (wheat, barley) and seed production (grass seeds, legume seeds and vegetable seeds) is carried out mainly in Canterbury and Southland.

What’s New

Latest Media & News

  • ​Changes to the FAR Constitution

    FAR is an Incorporated Society which operates under a Constitution. Following our external review and in order to ensure that we comply with new legislation governing Incorporated Societies, we plan to make amendments to the Constitution at our AGM in December. We believe that the proposed changes will enhance the governance of FAR and provide growers with greater membership rights.

    Key proposed changes

    • All levy paying growers will become official members of the Incorporated Society. Members will be able to nominate themselves or other members onto their respective Arable Research Group (ARG). Members will be able to attend the AGM and table items for discussion.
    • The seven ARGs will remain in place. Each ARG will be able to nominate three ARG reps to sit on the Members Council and one ARG rep to sit on the Research and Development Advisory Committee (RDAC). ARG chairs will no longer automatically go on to the FAR Board. Regional representation will occur at the RDAC and Members Council levels and the Board will be skills based.
    • The RDAC will be made up of a representative from each of the seven ARGs and up to seven other appointed members from industry etc. The RDAC provides input into research priorities and makes recommendations to the Board and Senior Management. ARG representation on the RDAC ensures growers' voices are heard on issues of research prioritisation.
    • The Members Council (21 elected members from the ARGs) selects Board members and members of the Board Nomination and Remuneration Committee (N&RC)
    • The N&RC is a subcommittee of the Members Council that deals with board nomination and remuneration.
    • The Governance Board will be skills based. It will include five to nine Directors, of which the majority must be levy paying directors. The chair of the board will be a levy payer.
      Read proposed new Constitution here

  • A biosecurity GIA for the arable industry

    In recent years, the Government has reviewed the New Zealand Biosecurity system and, with industry, developed the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) system, to manage biosecurity readiness and response in New Zealand.

    In order to ensure that the arable industry has a voice under this new system, FAR has been working with industry groups to develop a GIA for the arable industry. After much discussion and consultation, an entity called Seed and Grain Readiness and Response (SGRR) has been formed to fulfil this role.

    The industry proposal is that SGRR will represent FAR, Federated Farmers Arable, the Flour Millers Association, New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association and United Wheat Growers in negotiations with the government around biosecurity. Each of the organisations listed above will have one director on SGRR.

    We hope to conclude negotiations over this process in early December, but understand that you will have a number of questions about the role of SGRR and what it means to be part of the GIA system. Please read the attached information which outlines the process to date, how the proposed SGRR would work, and what it all means. This section includes a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

    SGRR GIA Information

    If, after reading this, you still have questions or concerns, please email: info@sgrr.org.nz.

    Alternatively, you may choose to attend a consultation meeting - times and dates are listed below and are also on the FAR events page.



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