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.
OPINION: The Hound notes that nominations are now open for two Beef+Lamb NZ director roles (eastern North Island and southern South Island).
Eastern North Island director George Tatham is standing down, while South Island director elections, and current board chair, Andrew Morrison is offering himself up for re-election.
It will be interesting to note if all the fire and brimstone about the performance (or more correctly the lack of it) of BLNZ - especially in relation to ag emissions - will see any serious challenges put up to fight the status quo for the seats.
One would have thought that the likes of Groundswell and the 'Waka Adrift group' who have been loudly agitating against HWEN etc, etc would put up some credible candidates to fight the election.
Nominations close at 5pm on 9 December - so challengers better get their skates on or maybe these agitators are just all talk and no action!
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.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.

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