New DINZ chair moots unity, growth
Paddy Boyd, the new chair of Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), says his priority is to make sure deer farmers are engaged and provide them confidence to grow.
Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dean Hamilton has been appointed to the Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) board for a three-year term.
Hamilton joined the board as a venison processor-appointee on 1 July, replacing Andrew West.
Deer Industry New Zealand chair Andy Macfarlane welcomed Hamilton saying “Silver Fern Farms is our largest venison processor and marketer and we are very pleased to now have a close connection to that company through Dean’s appointment. To have a leader of his calibre on the board will be an asset for DINZ and is a good signal of Silver Fern Farms’ commitment to the deer industry.”
Hamilton joined Silver Fern Farms as chief strategy officer in April 2014 and was appointed chief executive in November 2014. He has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate finance and investment in both New Zealand and Australia, before which he held senior operational roles including chief executive of meat processor Riverlands Foods.
Macfarlane also acknowledged West’s contribution to the board.
“Andy West is an astute strategic thinker, and his insights have been invaluable over the last three years as DINZ has been developing its strategic direction. We are very grateful for his input as a director.”
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.