Tuesday, 19 March 2024 20:13

B+LNZ board fees hike rejected by farmers

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland. Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland.

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.

More like this

Red meat's China push

The red meat sector is launching a new campaign to lure Chinese consumers to New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb.

Featured

New ag degrees at Massey

Changing skill demands and new job opportunities in the primary sector have prompted Massey University to create a new degree course and add a significant major into another in 2025.

The show is on!

It was bringing in a new Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show board, more in tune with the CAPA general committee, that has ensured that Christchurch will have a show this year, says CAPA general committee president Bryce Murray.

Forestry cuts into stock numbers

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry - particularly for carbon farming.

National

Food charity to hold online auction

Meat the Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National…

Machinery & Products

Landpower increases its offering

Landpower and the Claas Harvest Centre network will launch the Claas Scorpion and Torion material handling solutions to the market…

New F5 balers from McHale

Irish grassland machinery manufacturer McHale has unveiled the new four-model range of F5 fixed chamber balers.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Leaky waka

OPINION: Was the ASB Economic Weekly throwing shade on Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr when reporting on his speech in…

Know-it-alls

OPINION: A reader recently had a shot at the various armchair critics that she judged to be more than a…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter