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.
Now in its fourth year, the 2026 Fencing Industry Awards, formed part of the proceedings of the FCANZ Conference, held in Nelson during August.
DairyNZ deputy chair Cameron Henderson has been re-appointed unopposed for another term.
OPINION: The stats speak for themselves.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Election years are always a concerning time for farmers, according to DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are coming to the West Coast of the South Island.

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