Van der Poel to chair DairyNZ

He replaces Michael Spaans, who passed away earlier this week.

Van der Poel says Michael was a skilled, dedicated and passionate chair for DairyNZ and he plans to continue the vision established for DairyNZ and dairy farmers.

“While I step into this position under sad circumstances, as a board we will continue Michael’s good work – his influence will continue as we develop plans for the future of our industry.”

Van der Poel is keen the industry moves ahead under the new industry strategy, Dairy Tomorrow, which was launched this week.

“We are looking toward a more collaborative future and we are starting afresh with an updated industry strategy to guide us forward,” he says.

“As a board, we will be closely following progress toward our commitments to ensure New Zealand dairy farming has a sustainable future, while retaining competitive and resilient businesses.”

Van der Poel is a dairy farmer from Ngahinapouri and has farming interests in the Waikato, Southland, Canterbury and the US. He is a former director for Fonterra and New Zealand Co-operative Dairies Ltd.

Acting chair Barry Harris says van der poel is a strong advocate for dairy farmers and the sector’s future.

“Jim is experienced as a dairy farmer and in governance for our sector. He is particularly keen to ensure dairy farmers continue to be competitive and responsible as we address the current challenges around sustainability, securing a skilled workforce and continuing to produce quality products for the world.”