increase font size
Karen Williams
Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer Karen Williams is the new chief executive of Irrigation New Zealand.
Williams, the national client propositions manager at FMG, starts in her new role on February 24.
She's a former Federated Farmers leader, having served as chair of its arable section, national vice president and board member.
Williams farms an irrigated 560ha mixed cropping, beef, and lamb finishing property in the Wairarapa with her husband Mick. They are past Supreme winners for the Wellington region in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
She’s a graduate of the Agri-Women’s Development Trust’s Escalator Programme and also received the Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Award in 2019 for her work on the pea weevil biosecurity incursion, and the couple won the Environmental and Sustainability Award at the 2022 NZ Arable Awards.
Williams says she’s excited to take on a new challenge and sees the chief executive officer role at Irrigation New Zealand as a natural progression to her career.
“Having held other executive and Board roles, this is an opportunity for me to combine my skills and experience, while also allowing me to help advocate for a sector I’m passionate about. There are synergies with the work I’ve been doing at FMG too – we’re both about getting better outcomes for farmers, growers and rural communities and that includes wider water users too.”
Chair of Irrigation New Zealand, Keri Johnston says Williams’ appointment to CEO comes at an interesting time.
“It’s a critical time for New Zealand in terms of how we safeguard our water for different uses, so getting Karen at the helm now is timely for advocating the best direction for irrigation in New Zealand.”
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.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
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.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…
