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Andrew Hoggard.
Federated Farmers has a new national board, elected today at its annual meeting.
Manawatu farmer Andrew Hoggard is the new president, replacing Katie Milne who stepped down after three years in the role. Milne was Feds’ first female president.
Feds chief executive Terry Copeland is confident the newly-elected national board encompasses the depth of experience and expertise needed to maintain the organisation’s role as an effective voice for all farmers.
"Feds has been a grass roots-driven organisation for all of its 120 years and the elected leaders of our 24 provinces and our six industry groups have chosen high-calibre and committed people to sit at our top table," Copeland says.
Hoggard served as vice president for the three-year term.
Copeland says Hoggard has proved himself as an energetic and able representative, especially in his roles as spokesperson on climate change, commerce and connectivity.
Wairarapa farmer Karen Williams, who has a background in resource management and environmental planning, finishes her term as Arable industry group chair and takes on the vice-president role. The new arable chair is South Canterbury’s Colin Hurst, the 2019 ‘Arable Farmer of the Year’.
New blood on the national board includes Golden Bay Provincial president and ‘YOLO Farmer’ Wayne Langford, who has just taken up the reins as dairy industry group chair, and Wairarapa provincial president William Beetham, who is the new meat & wool industry group chair.
For the two board ‘at large’ positions, the provincial delegates have voted to retain the knowledge and experience of the two Chris’s - Waikato’s Chris Lewis, who finishes his term as dairy chair, and Canterbury’s Chris Allen, who has been integral to Federated Farmers’ advocacy on complicated water and biodiversity issues over the last three years.
Hoggard says the outgoing president, Katie Milne, had set a high standard.
"They’re big gumboots to fill. She brought her own style to the role and made it a priority to increase the level of understanding between urban and rural New Zealand.
"I want to continue that work, and also the advocacy we’ve been doing with central and local government politicians and officials on getting them to recognise that policies and regulations need to achieve a balance between protecting the environment and preserving livelihoods, always keeping practicality and cost-effectiveness in mind."
Hoggard also thanked retiring board members Miles Anderson (Meat & Wool) and Andrew Maclean (at large) for their hard work and dedication.
Federated Farmers meat and wool chair, Toby Williams says what the Government has effectively signed up for is a decade more of planting pine trees on productive land because that’s the only way for our country to achieve such a steep reduction.
With a record $10-plus/kgMS milk price almost locked in for this season, next season isn’t looking too shabby either.
OPINION: Pre-Parliament, I was involved with the International Dairy Federation. I attended firstly business meetings at the annual conference, then later, board meetings as a sitting board member.
Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick says farmers are prepared for winter grazing every year.
While many MPs have been busy taking holidays in maybe exotic places, for Andrew Hoggard it's back to his old job as a dairy farmer during the so-called 'summer break'.
Farmlands says that improved half-year results show that the co-op’s tight focus on supporting New Zealand’s farmers and growers is working.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly on Auckland’s North Shore is a cause for concern for growers.
Fonterra says its earnings for the 2025 financial year are anticipated to be in the upper half of its previously forecast earnings range of 40-60 cents per share.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is having another crack at increasing the fees of its chair and board members.
Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.
An innovative dairy effluent management system is being designed to help farmers improve on-farm effluent practices and reduce environmental impact.
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