The wind of change is sweeping through primary sector leadership.
Since the start of the year, 10 of our most important and influential primary sector bodies have changed, or have announced they are changing, their chair or chief executive. In the case of two entities, both are being changed.
Since January Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ), Zespri, Hort NZ, Deer Industry NZ, Silver Fern Farms and Ospri have made their intention known to appoint new chief executives, or have already done so.
Over that same time new chairs have been or will be elected to DairyNZ, Deer Industry NZ, Alliance Group, Silver Fern Farms (SFF), Synlait and Pāmu.
In many cases this represents a significant loss of experience.
Innes Moffat worked for Deer Industry NZ for 18 years and was its chief executive for four; Jim van der Poel has been a director with DairyNZ and its various early entities since 2000 and its chair for seven; Rob Hewett was an SFF director since 2008 and its chair for 11 years.
That loss of institutional knowledge is significant but there are benefits that come with change.
Most of those stepping down have endured a torrid six years treading the delicate line between appeasing their sector’s general unhappiness with an aggressive government agenda and dealing with inevitable market pressures and fluctuating product prices.
Their roles had become untenable, the sort that would take a toll on anyone.
Sure, some of those issues remain, but with new people come new ideas, energy and enthusiasm.
We are fortunate as a sector not only in the calibre of our leaders, but also in their commitment to what is a time-consuming role.
Their decisions and the positions they take on issues certainly do not please everyone – and nor should they as the primary sector is a very broad church.
All that can be asked is that decisions are made in the best interests of the sector and on the very best information available.
We saw with He Waka Eke Noa that primary sector leaders walked a tightrope between politicians, officials and their constituents, only to have the pin pulled when the outcome was found to be inequitable and not in the best interests of the sector.
The past six years have revealed how demands on our sector leaders are growing.
Whether it is as directors or senior management of companies meeting shareholders or on trade missions, or leaders of levy-paying groups interacting with government ministers or officials, the demands on people’s time and energy have increased.
Fortunately this has been realised and there are multiple professional programmes such as Dairy Women’s Network, Rural Leaders and To The Core.
The leaders of our levy-funded bodies certainly do not do it to be popular or for the money. In fact many say it costs them money as they need to find covering staff for when they are away on sector business.
A remit to increase the BLNZ director’s renumeration pool was rejected earlier this year – reflecting the tough times facing the sector – and there appears little appetite to regularly increase what they are paid.
However, the fact is that if we want to attract the brightest and most enthused, we need to have a mature, realistic debate on how we reward them.
In Focus Podcast: Full Show | 27 June
With our regular host Bryan Gibson still laid low with covid this week, senior journalist Richard Rennie talks to Joanne Todd, director of the high value food and beverage National Science Challenge, about the Challenge’s funding round coming to an end this week, with no prospect of any immediate funding to fill the gap.
Regulations are seen by farmers as one of the major constraints upon farm operations today. Federated Farmers board member and arable farmer David Birkett outlines some specific concerns with Health and Safety regulations. Despite their best intentions, farmer fatalities and injuries have not declined in the past decade, prompting calls for a review and practical revamp of regulations.
Richard also chats with senior reporter Hugh Stringleman. They talk about the annual stud bull sale results which, after relatively flat values this season, have finished with some top prices being paid for bulls sold by East Coast’s Tangihau Angus. Then they take a look at the trials of Synlait dairy company, due to repay $130 million within two weeks and holding a special meeting to agree on funding.
