Farmer ginger group has listed 11 remits it wants shareholders of the Alliance Group and Silver Fern Farms meat co-operatives to vote on at special meetings to be called later this year.
The remits initiated by the Meat Industry Action Group were designed to initiate discussion and create a co-operatively owned entity to ultimately handle 80% of the national kill, what the group calls the "National Champion".
The resolutions request the formation of a constitutional committee of directors from the two companies and Meat and Wool New Zealand to design the National Champion, and are quite prescriptive in how it would operate, including where and how often the committee should meet and who should cover the committee's costs.
The group also proposes calling a second special meeting in March next year at which shareholders could consider resolutions "for the removal and re-election of all directors and shall invite any new nominations for directors".
The group-appointed independent chairman would have the discretion whether this meeting would be called.
Group spokesman John Gregan said the resolutions were designed to create an entity to secure the industry's future and with that farmers' returns.
"As a matter of law, shareholders cannot force directors to make management decisions, but the resolutions do provide for director elections to be held in March 2009 to allow shareholders an opportunity to hold their directors accountable."
Appointing an independent director was seen by the group as crucial in overcoming the impasse between the two co-operatives which has prevented merger talks.
Mr Gregan said in an interview he did not know whether the companies had to accept the remits or had accepted them, an issue he said would be discussed with the two co-operatives.
The Alliance Group had informed the farmer group it had accepted the group had the required support of 5% of shareholders needed to call a special general meeting, while Silver Fern Farms directors were meeting yesterday, when it was understood the issue was to be discussed.
Mr Gregan said the special meetings were unlikely to be held until after Silver Fern Farms shareholders had voted on a proposed merger with PGG Wrightson.
