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.
Parsons’ ward and the northern South Island, out of six farmer elected wards, are coming up for re-election in February. The chairman is elected at the first board meeting after that.
Parsons says his first year as chairman been very rewarding. “It is a neat sector to be involved in and the Beef + Lamb organisation is in a good space and improving.
“We’ve got lots of programmes we are working on and new initiatives to roll out. There are lots of things we can do better but our trajectory it is looking positive. My predecessor Mike Petersen did a great job, as does chief executive Scott Champion, so it’s nice to step into an organisation that’s in good health.”
North Canterbury farmer Andy Fox is not seeking re-election and will stand down at the annual meeting in March. Fox has been on the board for nine years. He was first elected to the board of Meat & Wool New Zealand and then to its successor, Beef + Lamb.
Fox says his biggest satisfaction was seeing more levy-funded activity focused behind the farmgate. Advances in animal genetics through farmer investment via Beef + Lamb were especially good.
“There’s been significant per head production gains from genetics, particularly for the sheep industry, and I can see the production improvements on my own farm. We’re doing much better than 10 years ago and that’s because of better genetics in our animals.”
Nominations for either farmer director position need to be made to the BLNZ returning officer, Warwick Lampp (0508 666 447) by 5pm on Friday, December 19. Election day will be Friday, February 27, 2015, with voting carried out by post and internet. Voting forms will be posted to registered voters in February.
To be eligible to vote, farmers will come from either of these two electorates and must have owned at least 250 sheep and/or 50 beef cattle and/or 100 dairy cattle on June 30, 2014. They must also be registered on the BLNZ electoral roll by 5pm on Thursday January 29, 2015.
Farmers can register to vote by contacting the B+LNZ returning officer or filling in the online form at: beeflambnz.com/register
