Fonterra Elections 2026: Voting Opens Tuesday 20 October
Fonterra shareholders can begin voting on Tuesday 20 October in the 2026 Board of Directors’ election, a Co-operative Council election in one Ward, and seven Annual Meeting resolutions.
Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Donna Smit has been elected to Fonterra’s board.
Smit and sitting director Michael Spaans were voted in by shareholders; Canterbury farmer Stuart Nattrass was unsuccessful.
Smit lives and farms at Edgecumbe; building and owning even dairy farms in Eastern Bay of Plenty and Oamaru.
She is a director of Ballance Agri Nutrients and Primary ITO, and a Trustee of Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre and Eastern Bay Energy Trust. A charted accountant by profession, she was company administrator at Kiwifruit Cooperative
EastPack for 24 years.
Smit will join the board at Fonterra’s annual meeting in Darfield on Thursday.
Federated Farmers has welcomed new rural policies released by ACT, saying they align closely with its own election priorities.
Rural Contractors NZ says proposed changes to land transport rules for agricultural vehicles are a welcome response by the Government to out of date regulations which have seen members hit with huge fines.
Alliance is calling for final applications for its 2027 Graduate Programme, with applications closing on Sunday 25 October.
Decades piloting planes has ensured vet and farmer David Hayes is focused on safety. So, after a serious accident while welding on farm, he is sharing his experience so others can learn from it.
Canterbury milk processor, Synlait Milk has confirmed Leon Fung as its chief executive officer.
OPINION: Making it easier to collect rainwater and use it to grow crops and livestock is a no brainer.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.