HortNZ Opens Applications for 2026 Leadership Programme Scholarships
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) is inviting applications for scholarships places on its 2026 Leadership Programme.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
Nine candidates are standing to fill three vacancies on the HortNZ board: Simon Cook, Shane Flynn, Tom Keefe, Dermott Malley, Lochie McNally, John Murphy, Carol Palmer, Erin Simpson, and Shaun Vickers.
HortNZ board chair Bernadine Guilleux says it is getting close to the final day of voting and encourages any eligible growers who haven't cast their vote and want to take part to do so.
"This is an opportunity for growers to have a say in who will be making key decisions that shape the future of our sector," Guilleux says.
"Ensuring a broad range of skills and experience around the board table is also critical to HortNZ continuing to deliver strong effective advocacy and helping ensure a sustainable future for the sector," she adds.
“That includes experience in the areas of finance, biosecurity and risk management, science and innovation, education and Te Ao Māori.
“We’re motivated by the strong level of interest we’ve received for the three positions available on the board. Ongoing succession at the governance level is crucial to an effective, united pan-sector voice to Government.”
Voting closes at 12 noon on Thursday 10 July. For more information on each candidate, including profiles, declarations of interest and candidate videos, please visit www.hortnz.co.nz.
Despite near universal optimism in the rural sector, a panel of New Zealand’s leading food and agri minds caution that the sector must be intentional about its future path.
The dairy industry cannot rest on its laurels despite providing one in every four export dollars earned by the country, says DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker.
The Government is looking at intervening on behalf of Waikato farmers who face new regulations around agricultural land use while Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms are underway.
The country's second largest milk processor, Open Country Dairy, is building a butter plant at its Awarua site in Invercargill.
After 25 years it is the right time to step away, says Colin Glass, the retiring chief executive of New Zealand's largest private corporate dairying company, Dairy Holdings.
Politicians calling for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate risk damaging two of our gold-plated free trade deals.

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