New CEO

NATIONAL - NZ Young Farmers has named Cheyne Gillooly as its new chief executive. He was previously director of operations, agriculture and industries at the Ministry for Primary Industries. "I am excited to join an organisation with a proud legacy and an important role to play in the future of the sector,” Gillooly said.

Sharefarmers win big

NATIONAL - Thomas and Fiona Langford won the 2025 Sharefarmers of the Year award at the national finals, held in Tauranga this month. They are partners on a 1090-cow farm on Putāruru, a small town in the Waikato region. They took home $38,000 worth of prizes on the night.

Helping hand

INTERNATIONAL - New South Wales’ farmers can now get their hands on virtual fencing tech following a law change. Outdated legislation had prevented farmers in the state from using tools like Halter, a collar technology, but a “groundswell of demand” has removed those barriers, the company says. Kiwi farmers who use such products were “influential” in making the law change happen.

Meat industry conference

CANTERBURY - The national Meat Industry Association conference will be held at Christchurch’s te Pae convention centre this June 21 to 22. This conference will mark 40 years of MIA, so the conference will be a chance to celebrate the sector’s wins.

Worm website

NATIONAL - Arable industry groups have worked together to create an easy-to-use website for farmers with fall armyworm invasions. The bugs were first discovered in New Zealand in 2022, and prey on crops. Funding for the website comes from a three-year MPI Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) project.