Beef + Lamb New Zealand to Connect with Farmers at Central Districts Field Days 2026
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Red meat farmers have narrowly approved a 4% rise in the total pool for Beef + Lamb NZ director fees.
After rejecting a proposal for a pay rise last year, 50.6% of B+LNZ levy paying farmers backed the pay rise today at the organisation’s annual meeting in Rotorua.
This year, the Director Independent Remuneration Committee (DIRC) recommended a 6% rise in the total pool for director fees - from $401,500 to $424,000. This would have raised the chair's fees by 18% to $90,000, a 3% rise in director fee to $39,250 and no change to the discretionary spend pool. However, the B+LNZ board asked farmers to approve a 4% rise to the total pool - to $417,500. This represents a fee increase for the chair to $83,320 and for each director to $39,250.
The second resolution on the appointment of the auditor was supported, with 96.83% in favour.
The voter turnout represented 7.43% of registered sheep, beef and dairy farmers. While this is low, it is not unprecedented and it roughly aligns other industry groups’ processes, says B+LNZ.
Around 70 people attended the annual meeting, held as part of the Out the Gate farmer event in Rotorua. The Out the Gate event has attracted about 300 participants.
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.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.