Nico originally trained in the United Kingdom in estate management (Management of large scale farming operations).

Subsequent to tertiary qualifications Nico was employed on several specific estates managing the agricultural operations and prior to moving to New Zealand in 1990 spent three years on the east coast of the United States introducing intensive sheep programmes and farm intensification to a large agricultural business in Virginia. This included the setting up of a sheep programme and introduction of a new sheep breed(Romanov) into the United States.

Since 1990 Nico has been resident in Hamilton and developed a farm financial bureau service assisting farmers with cashflow management and budgeting. Work has included on farm technical advice with regard to farm performance improvement, financial management, business management, advice on suitable structures for improving the farm business.

The client base includes both individual farmers as well as corporate farming clients with specific needs, as well as non farmer land owners who require consultancy and land management advice.

In addition Nico acts as a professional trustee for a number of farming entities and therefore has a number of additional responsibilities with regard to the farm business both in its structure, financial position and inter-generational family succession on farms.

Nico is particularly interested in international agricultural affairs and has a number of contacts who keep him regularly updated with various agricultural developments outside New Zealand. Through the professional trustee work, Nico has become involved in dairy conversion and expansion in Australia.

Key fields of consultancy include:

• Farm supervision and management of sharemilking relationships
• Strategic farm planning
• Financial planning and monitoring
• Labour recruitment
• Lease land assessment and advice
• Professional trustee services and advice to farming businesses
• Succession planning

DairyPush Profit Improvement Programme

MAF Policy