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.
Voting has opened for B+LNZ director elections.
In Western North Island, Scott Gower of Ohura and Andrew Stewart of Marton are standing to replace outgoing director Kirsten Bryant, who is not seeking re-election.
In Central South Island Nicky Hyslop of Timaru and incumbent director Bill Wright of Cave are standing.
“Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s board plays an important role in shaping the direction of the sector and our farmer directors are a vital link between the organisation and sheep and beef farmers across the country,” says B+LNZ’s chairman Andrew Morrison.
“It’s great to see farmers putting up their hands in both districts to contest the elections as it demonstrates the value they see in contributing to help lead the sector.
“With voting documents arriving in mailboxes in the coming days, I encourage farmers to take the time to consider the candidates standing in both districts.”
To be eligible to vote, a livestock farmer must, on 30 June 2018, have owned at least 250 sheep, 50 beef cattle, or 100 dairy cattle.
This week, more than 100 farmers, policy makers, politicians and other industry influencers will gather at the annual Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) Forum to workshop positive environmental change for New Zealand dairy.
Fonterra says its interim results show continued momentum in its performance, with revenue of $13.9 billion in the first half of the 2026 financial year.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.

OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…