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Mike Butterick.
The man who led the Fifty Shades of Green campaign is now going to be advocating for the one shade of blue – the National Party.
Mike Butterick, a Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer and Feds Meat and Fibre chair in the region, has been selected as the National candidate for the region. He beat off two other nominees including Mark Bridges, the brother of former leader Simon Bridges.
Butterick has been a vocal critic of plans to convert livestock farms to forestry and was one of the leaders of a protest at parliament on this subject last year. He replaces Alastair Scott who has held the seat since 2014 and is standing down at the election.
He began his career shepherding in Canterbury before moving to the Wairarapa in 1990 and bought a farm in 1995, along with his wife Rachel.
“Wairarapa, alongside the rest of the country, is heading into some very uncertain times and it needs a strong National Government to help guide us out of this economic crisis.”
Butterick says he’s looking forward to campaigning and earning Wairarapa’s trust to win support and join the National Party team.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the National Party’s agriculture plan provides a strong basis for lifting productivity, supporting rural communities and recognising the sheep and beef sector’s environmental track record.
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National’s pledge to introduce 19 new national standards shows the party is serious about getting Wellington out of farming, Federated Farmers says.
Farmer-owned fertiliser company, Ballance Agri Nutrients is welcoming National’s plan to negotiate security agreements with key supplier countries to protect New Zealand-bound products from export restrictions and greater supply chain certainty.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
Federated Farmers has welcomed new rural policies released by ACT, saying they align closely with its own election priorities.
Rural Contractors NZ says proposed changes to land transport rules for agricultural vehicles are a welcome response by the Government to out of date regulations which have seen members hit with huge fines.
Alliance is calling for final applications for its 2027 Graduate Programme, with applications closing on Sunday 25 October.
Decades piloting planes has ensured vet and farmer David Hayes is focused on safety. So, after a serious accident while welding on farm, he is sharing his experience so others can learn from it.
Canterbury milk processor, Synlait Milk has confirmed Leon Fung as its chief executive officer.
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