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.
OPINION: After two long years of hardship, things are looking up for New Zealand red meat farmers.
A casualty of the storm that hit the Bay of Plenty recently was the cancelation of a field day at a leading Māori kiwifruit orchard at Te Puke.
Michael Wentworth has joined the team at Mission Estate Winery, filling the "big shoes" of former Chief Executive Peter Holley, who resigned in September last year, after almost 30 years running the storied Napier venue.
Some arable farmers are getting out of arable and converting to dairy in the faced of soaring fuel and fertiliser prices on top of a very poor growing season.
The New Zealand seed industry has reached a significant milestone with the completion and approval of the new seed certification system.
New Zealand's persimmon season will kick off early this year, with fruit set to hit shelves soon.

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