McRae Wins Southern South Island B+LNZ Director Vote
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has appointed Sam McIvor as its new chief executive officer.
He will also have the role of CEO of the New Zealand Meat Board.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand chairman James Parsons says McIvor is an experienced CEO who brings a range of strategic thinking and management experience to support both organisations' work for sheep and beef farmers, and the broader sector.
McIvor is currently the group general manager farm operations at Ospri and he has held the roles of CEO Preston Corp Ltd and CEO of New Zealand Pork.
His primary industry career has spanned on-farm activity through to processing and retail. This included Beef + Lamb New Zealand's predecessor organisation Meat & Wool New Zealand as the research and development manager and product and information transfer manager.
McIvor will replace current CEO Dr Scott Champion on April 1. Champion leaves the organisation following seven and a half years as CEO of Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the New Zealand Meat Board.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has resigned after eight years in the role.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.

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