NEWS
AGRIBUSINESS
ANIMAL HEALTH
Hundreds gather to share memories at Flock House.
Family business turns 40.
The role mice have in leptospirosis risk. PAGE 16
PAGE 10
PAGE 14
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS JULY 30, 2024: ISSUE 806
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Feds leader to stand for DairyNZ board SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
DAIRY FARMING leader Richard McIntyre is contesting the 2024 DairyNZ director elections. The Horowhenua farmer and Federated Farmers dairy section chair says he’s passionate about farming and wants to contribute to the industrygood organisation. “I can see the challenges we’re facing, and I think I can make a real contribution at the board level,” he told Rural News. McIntyre is the second high-profile candidate for the director elections. DairyNZ deputy chair Jacqueline Rowarth, who is retiring by rotation, is seeking re-election as a director. McIntyre has been a dairy farmer for 24 years. Originally a townie, McIntyre started out as a farm assistant and worked his way up to become a herd owning sharemilker. He also has a calf rearing business and a 180ha drystock farm. McIntyre has been part of Federated Farmers for 11 years where he has chaired the sharemilker section and served as vice chair of the dairy section before taking up the chairmanship in 2022. McIntyre believes that the skills
Richard McIntyre believes that his skills and networks built at Federated Farmers would be an asset for DairyNZ.
and networks built at Federated Farmers would be an asset for DairyNZ and make a real difference for farming families. “DairyNZ is a great organisation, and I’m a big supporter of the levy, but there is a real feeling out there now
that things have gotten off track. “Farmers are struggling with some major challenges right now with increased costs, reduced incomes, and squeezed profits. “We’re also struggling to fill gaps in our workforce, and there’s a huge wave
of environmental changes coming at us.” He says farmers are looking to DairyNZ for practical solutions to some of those challenges – improving productivity, reducing environmental footprint, and increasing profit.
Farmers also want to see DairyNZ focusing on their core roles of research, science, and extension to help address those challenges. If successful, McIntyre says he won’t be stepping down from his Federated Farmers role. “I love my role at Federated Farmers and take the job incredibly seriously. “My term as Federated Farmers dairy chair ends in June next year. I’d want to see my term to the end, finish what I’ve started, and then I’d reassess where things are at. “Any potential conflicts would be carefully managed, but I don’t see any major issues. At the end of the day, both organisations work for farmers.” He points out that several DairyNZ farmer-elected directors sit on other boards like Ravensdown, Ballance AgriNutrient, and the Deer Industry Association. “I don’t see any reason why Federated Farmers should be treated any different,” says McIntyre. McIntyre’s governance roles include being a current member of the Fish and Game Wellington council. He has served as chair of the NZ Dairy Industry Awards Trust and did an eight-month stint as associate director of DairyNZ.
You know dairy farming inside and out Shouldn’t your bank understand it too. As a specialist agri-bank, Rabobank understand the challenges you face as a farmer, because we understand farming too. So choose the bank that understands farming the way you do. Contact Rabobank on 0800 500 933 or visit rabobank.co.nz