increase font size
Mark Hooper
Rural leader Mark Hooper has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board, bringing extensive farming, governance and advocacy experience to the role.
Hooper is a Lepperton dairy farmer and former Taranaki Federated Farmers president.
He was elected to Federated Farmers' national board in 2022 and has been closely involved in national rural policy and advocacy, including environmental and regulatory issues affecting farmers.
He is also a former chair of LIC's Shareholder Reference Group, adding further governance experience to his background in the primary sector.
NZPork chair Paul Bucknell welcomed Hooper's appointment, saying his broad primary sector experience would be valuable to the board.
"Mark brings a strong understanding of farming, policy and rural communities, along with practical governance experience," Bucknell says.
"That perspective will be important as the board continues to support pig farmers through change and works to ensure New Zealanders can continue to enjoy locally farmed, high-quality pork."
Hooper says he is optimistic about the future of the New Zealand pork sector and is excited to be joining the NZPork board.
"New Zealand's pork sector is a proud industry with a strong environmental record and some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world," he says.
He points to recent regulatory certainty as a positive development for the industry.
"With greater certainty now around welfare rules, pig farmers have the confidence to invest in their farms, adopt new systems and keep building a resilient future for the sector."
Hooper says supporting the industry's ability to thrive matters for both farmers and consumers.
"It is important that the industry can thrive and that pig farmers can continue to provide nutritious, high-quality New Zealand born and raised pork, farmed to high welfare standards."
He also highlighted pork's role as an accessible protein option for New Zealand households.
"Pork is also an affordable and versatile protein for Kiwi families, and I know farmers are proud to produce food that is nutritious, accessible and trusted by consumers."
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
