Beef and Lamb NZ has elected Kate Acland, from Mt Somers Station, as their first female chairperson.
“This is an exciting opportunity to represent farmers and the sector I’m enormously passionate about,” Acland said.
Acland replaces Andrew Morrison, whose five-year term concluded at the end of the board’s annual meeting in New Plymouth last week.
Acland has held the position of deputy chair since June last year and holds a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and oenology, and a master’s degree in applied science, majoring in farm management consultancy from Lincoln University.
Acland developed her own vineyard, winery, and processing and export business in Marlborough before moving to Mid Canterbury to join her husband David on his family farm.
The couple runs 30,000 stock units on Mt Somers station, with a mix of beef, sheep, deer, and an 850 dairy cow unit.
The station also runs a standalone honey operation of 400 hives that produce Manuka, Honeydew and Clover Honey from 500 hectares of native vegetation and beech forest.
“I’m personally optimistic about the future.
"New Zealand has a great history of innovating and adaptation, but right now farming is tough, and farmers are facing unprecedented challenges and change.
“I look forward to leading the organisation that helps farmers through that change,” Acland said.
“There are lots of challenges ahead.
“We need to keep fighting for sensible and practical policy settings, and the annual meeting process has underlined the need for deeper conversations with our farmers about some of the key issues we’re advocating on and why the board has taken the positions it has.”
Outgoing chair Andrew Morrison, who lost his Southern South Island director seat to Geoffrey Young last month, was thanked for his contribution at the annual meeting.
There was a standing ovation at the end of his farewell speech.