Tuesday, 10 June 2025 10:55

Two-way battle for Feds dairy chairmanship

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Karl Dean Karl Dean

The coveted post of Federated Farmers' national dairy chair will see a two-way contest at the Federated Farmers annual meeting later this month.

Two Federated Farmers provincial presidents have thrown their hats in the ring: newly-elected Waikato president Philip Sherwood and North Canterbury president Karl Dean.

The current chair Richard McIntyre is stepping down after three years in the role.

It's not uncommon for the national dairy chair to go onto become the Feds' national president. Current Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard served as national dairy chair before taking over the presidency. Current president Wayne Langford, a Golden Bay dairy farmer, also served as dairy chair. However, McIntyre, who also serves on DairyNZ board and Wellington Fish and Game Wellington Council, has decided to step down.

Dean has previously served as the provincial dairy chair and has been provincial president for two-and-a-half years.

Farming at Leeston by the shores of Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, Dean was last year given the title of Feds' "Advocate of the Year" in recognition of the work he has put in as a public face of farming, putting farmers concerns out in the national media.

Dean says he is standing for the national dairy chair because he has enjoyed giving back to the dairy industry group and giving a voice to dairy farmers.

He says it would require him to step down as provincial president as well as a couple of other smaller positions, due to the time commitment required for the role.

Dean sees the role as being the representative for all the country's dairy farmers and he's not jsut standing because he feels the south has been underrepresented.

"It comes with the ebbs and flows. Five or six years ago, there were very few sitting around that board table that were from the South Island."

Sherwood is a third-generation farmer, milking 550 Jersey cows in Matamata. He has also served as the deputy chair on Rabobank's Upper North Island Client Council.

Philip Sherwood FBTW

Philip Sherwood

Federated Farmers is not commenting on the contest.

However, Dairy News believes that it's not the first time there has been a contest for dairy chair, but it is the first time in a very long time.

The Feds annual meeting will take place at the Primary Industries NZ (PINZ) Summit in Christchurch on June 24 and 25.

The summit includes the seventh annual Primary Industries NZ Awards, with eight categories.

"With tariff tit-for-tat sparking disruption and uncertainty in export markets, more than ever New Zealand needs the primary sextor to be innovative and enterprising," Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says.

"The PINZ Awards celebrate our primary industry movers and shakers - the science and food production teams delivering a market egde for our exported goods, the leaders who go the extra mile."

More like this

Working with farmers to ensure best outcomes

OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.

Editorial: Nitrate emergency?

OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.

Federated Farmers slam Canterbury nitrate emergency

A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.

Featured

Tributes paid to Jim Bolger

Dignitaries from  all walks of life – the governor general,  politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and  friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.

Meet the Need: Helping Kiwis put food on the table

Meet the Need, a farmer-led charity, says food insecurity in New Zealand is dire, with one in four children now living in a household experiencing food insecurity, according to Ministry of Health data.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Fonterra vote

OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.

Follow the police beat

OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter