Falklands : Falkland Landholdings Board Meeting Report (01/27/06)
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 01.02.2006 (Article Archived on 15.02.2006)
Find out how Falkland Landholdings are doing this summer.
FALKLAND LANDHOLDINGS BOARD MEETING REPORT
By J. Brock (FINN)
A meeting of the Board of Falklands Landholdings Corporation was held at 1025hrs on Friday, 27 January 2006 in the Function Room of the Chamber of Commerce. The meeting started late due to a time over-run at the Standing finance Committee. Present were Cllrs Hansen (Chair) and Rendell. Also attending were Mr. Keith Padgett, Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Ben Berntsen, Mrs D. Minnell, Mr. Owen Summers, Mr Chris Simpkins, Chief Executive, Miss Bernadette Lang, Financial Controller and Mrs. Tracy Pearce, Secretary.
After apologies for absence and confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 24 October 2005, matters from those minutes were discussed.
Mr. Owen Summers presented the General Manager’s report, saying that 1200 bales of wool are on the forthcoming northbound sailing of the MOD boat. Suggestions that a route could be established with Punta Arenas or Montevideo were aired. However, the wool market had slowed and prices are lower than they were last year at this time. Shearing goes well with 8,000ewes and 2,000 young ewes still to shear in Goose Green and Fitzroy respectively. North Arm has all of its ewes to shear.
Kevin Reynolds is due to arrive in February to take over the running of the Stanley Dairy. The AI/ET programme is due to begin soon so that both wool and meat production winn have more quality. Lamb marking showed a lambing rate of 64% at North Arm and 50% at Goose Green and Fitzroy.
The recovery plan is very much up to date with fencing and ditching. The only exceptions were ewe rotation in North Arm. There were difficulties finding enough water during the summer months. Lack of ewe condition was a concern. However, Managers report there should be adequate meat supply for the abattoir.
Mike Rendell asked about the pre-lamb shearing policy and it was agreed to bring it up at the next meeting. Ben Berntsen said that he felt that Doreen needed a big vote of thanks for all the hard she has done at the Dairy over the past years. It was agreed to send her a letter of thanks.
The AI/ET Programme 2006 was discussed briefly with 13 rams (SAAM/Poll Dorset) through the National Stud Flock sale. The AI programme has 100 Poll Dorset ewes in Fitzroy will complete the upgrading to 75% of the ewe flock to pure bred Poll Dorset.
The ET Programme has 40 Como and 40 Polwarth ewes to be inseminated with imported Dohne semen. Ewes will be flushed and approximately 500 embryos will be implanted into local recipient ewes.
Bernadette Lang, the Financial Controller, presented the accounts and said that all of the income was more than budgeted but expenditure also was more than budgeted. This was due to the healthy wool prices leading to an increase of income but with the increasing fuel prices eating up all the profit. The good news is that an overdraft at the bank is not needed due to the recovery plan income.
The last item in the public section of the meeting was the arrival of the windows for the Goose Green Hall. They were paid for by the Historic Buildings Committee but FLH will have to provide the labour.
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