Select committee 'blew it' - Feds
Sheep and beef farmers are urging the Government to do more to stop productive farmland overrun by pine trees.
Red meat farmers have dealt a major blow to their umbrella farmer body, Beef + Lamb New Zealand - rejecting an increase in directors’ fees.
Results from B+LNZ’s annual meeting in Nelson today shows that almost 66% of farmers who voted, opposed the fee increase. Voter turnout was around 12%.
The board had asked farmers to boost the fee of chair Kate Acland to $90,000 from $76,220. Each director would have received $45,000 from this year (currently $38,110). The pool available for additional director duties was to increase to $25,000 from $20,000. The pool is currently used to recognise additional duties as a chair of board committees and is intended for those directors who sit on our representative organisations’ advisory groups on behalf of B+LNZ and who are not remunerated in these roles.
Farmer support was required for the proposal to proceed, so the fees will not be increased this year.
Acland says the board respects the result.
“We recognise it’s extremely tough on farm at the moment and believe this has been reflected in the voting outcome,” Acland says.
“However, the fact remains that B+LNZ’s director fees are well below industry benchmarks. While the result shows there are some farmers who would be comfortable with this being addressed now, that’s not the case for the majority so we’ll pick this up again when the time is right.”
A second resolution put forward by the on the appointment of the auditor was supported by farmers.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
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