A proposed restructure involving staff at rural lobby organisation Federated Farmers has been initiated this week by chief executive Terry Copeland.
In an update to members, Mr Copeland said he was limited in what information he could share given the potential employment implications.
It is understood the proposal has caused widespread angst and concern among members, including those in provincial positions.
When contacted by the Otago Daily Times with questions around the details of the proposal, the number of staff employed and the number of potential job losses, whether Mr Copeland believed it could continue to adequately represent farmers given potential cutbacks and the issues facing the rural sector, and when a final decision was likely to be made, the response provided was the same sent to members.
In that update, Mr Copeland said the organisation had been, for some time, facing the same inflationary pressures as the rest of New Zealand; fuel, travel, insurance and salary costs, and it had reached a point where it was no longer sustainable.
Farmers were experiencing those same rising costs, along with falling incomes, and he had decided not to increase the membership fee next year to cover the shortfall.
"Farmers are having to cut their budgets, so we need to do the same," he said.
Federated Farmers had seen a small reduction in year-on-year revenue.
Although membership numbers had been relatively stable for the past few years, there had been some gradual attrition over time due to farm amalgamations, conversions to forestry and more lifestyle blocks.
"Although a need to cut costs has been one driver for these proposed changes, they are not the only driver. This is also about refocusing our organisation on meeting the needs of our members in a modern advocacy environment to ensure we are getting the best policy outcomes we can for farmers," he said.
"Our team remain firmly committed to supporting our membership and providing the highest level of service we can. This means we are going to need to really prioritise and focus our attention on the things that matter most to our members."
According to its website, Federated Farmers has 13,000 members. It has a national council representing 24 provinces and a board, as well as a large team of staff. More than 60 staff were listed on the website.
The Federation's roots go back to September 18, 1899 with the first meeting of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. The union joined with the Sheep Owners' Federation to form Federated Farmers of New Zealand Inc in 1945.
