Since January 1995 Phil has been a Director and Farm Management Consultant for Agfirst.

Qualifications:

•  B Agriculture Sc
•  Registered Farm Management Consultant

Achievements:

•  Elite Accreditation for Farmax,
•  Certificate in Sustainable Nutrient Management from Massey University
•  Primary Sector Professional of the year award in 2016 in recognition of outstanding contribution to Hawkes Bay through the provision of professional services
•  Beef & Lamb NZ Sheep & Beef Rural Professional of the Year in 2017
•  Fellowship of NZIPIM in 2017

Phil has over 35 years of experience as an Agricultural consultant with 23 years in Hawke’s Bay with Agfirst, 5 years in Hawke’s Bay with Agriculture NZ MAF, 1 year with MAFF in UK and 6 years in North Otago with MAF. His primary role is as an Agricultural consultant for Agfirst Pastoral in Hastings, New Zealand.

Phil’s areas of expertise centre around:

Whole Farm Approach for sheep, beef, deer and dairy support farms: Our consultancy business is based on integration of financial, technical and individual needs of clients, whether they be farmers, Agribusiness or Government clients. A long term view of physical and financial sustainability are key inputs to the advice given.

Financial Management and Analysis: Frequently involved in accounts analysis, forecast budgeting, evaluation of alternative livestock policies, development and land purchase feasibility.

Phil is probably New Zealand’s most experienced user of Farmax for sheep, beef and deer farmers. Farmax is a sophisticated decision support tool which allows simulation of feed demand versus feed supply equations for physical feasibility and expected financial results. The model has been used on Pastoral farms for analysis of both strategic and Tactical decisions throughout New Zealand for over 13 years. As well as one off strategic reviews the Farmax service is provided through Agfirst Pastoral to over 40 farmers each month to help with decision support and form a basis to objectively plan, monitor and review the farm business.

Phil’s clients are mostly in Hawke’s Bay, but he also works with a number of large scale South Island operations. Over the past 20 years he has visited Chile on business on six occasions and worked on beef projects in Australia.

He has significant experience in facilitating technology transfer projects and has managed monitor farm programmes for Beef + Lamb NZ in both the North and South Islands.

Phil has experience with expert witness work and has helped a number of people resolve disputes both prior to and through the court process. A thorough analytical approach has proven beneficial to his clients in these potentially stressful situations.

Personal investment in sharefarming, dairy farm equity partnership, forestry, commercial property and directorship of Farmax Limited have helped Phil gain an understanding of the practicalities of business governance and management.