increase font size
Fed Farmers new dairy chair Richard McIntyre says his goal is about advocating for sensible change.
Newly elected chair of Federated Farmers’ dairy section, Horowhenua sharemilker Richard McIntyre says he’s looking forward to his role.
He says it will give him an opportunity to put forward some of his own ideas as he takes over the role previously held by the Waikato’s Chris Lewis.
McIntyre says there’s a lot of discussion around the changes taking place in the dairy industry and there are many farmers who are uncomfortable about some aspects of this. He believes change is a feature of the evolution of the dairy industry, which has been driven by farmers and largely supported by society.
He says change has occurred because of the need to feed the global population, as well as supporting the NZ economy.
“We are now in an era when greater change is being demanded by society. I see my role and the role of the dairy section within Feds to advocate for and to lead this change in a way and at a pace that brings everyone with us,” McIntrye told Rural News.
“I think there is danger at the moment – with some of the policy that is out there and way it is being implemented – it is going to make it hard for some farmers to come on the journey. My goal is about advocating for sensible change.”
One of the big issues McIntyre says the dairy industry has to solve is attracting more people to work on farm. He says some of the narrative around the dairy industry is negative, with claims that it is contributing to climate change and the degradation of waterways. He reckons such comments can even get down the best of dairy farmers.
“I was at the dairy industry awards some months ago and a Government minister came up to me and said,: ‘We don’t say this enough but thank you so much for what you do’. That was really nice but I wish it was said more often,” he says.
McIntyre believe that as well as encouraging more New Zealanders to go farming there is a need for the Government to change the immigration settings. He says such is the competition for staff that when you hire someone, you are effectively stealing them from someone in your industry or someone in another sector.
The Sharemilker
Richard McIntyre and his wife Emma are sharemilkers on a 200 hectare property on State Highway one, just north of Levin, where they milk 450 cows and rear 600 calves and run beef on a block they lease nearby.
They have been sharemilking for 14 years and are working towards buying their own farm in the future. The couple employ three staff and McIntyre says growing the business to the point when they could employ staff was part of a ‘de-risking’ strategy.
“We wanted to add a bit of diversification so if the milk price was low we had other income streams from the calf rearing and beef side of it.” he told Rural News.
McIntyre is a strong advocate of the sharemilking system and is confident that it will survive – despite the many changes taking place in the dairy industry. He says sharemilking offers an excellent pathway to farm ownership and also benefits farm owners who take on sharemilkers.
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.
Tributes are pouring in from across the political divide for former Prime Minister Jim Bolger who passed away, aged 90.
The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.
Agri advisor Perrin Ag says its graduate recruitment programme continues to bring new talent into the agricultural sector.
Entries are open for the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA).
