Yesterday, West Otago farmer Allan Richardson said he was ''overwhelmed'' by the support. Shareholders gave more than 6% of proxy votes, when 5% was the minimum required.
Earlier this week, Alliance Group shareholders Jeff Grant, from Balfour, and Gaye Cowie, from Balclutha, announced they were seeking support from 5% of shareholders to put the same resolution to a special meeting.
Mr Richardson and Clinton farmer John Cochrane co-ordinated a small team of Silver Fern Farms shareholders, who then contacted farmers as part of the grassroots farmer initiative.
The non-binding resolution, which the group wanted considered, was the board be required to provide all shareholders with a full analysis of the potential benefits and risks of a merger, along with a comprehensive risk mitigation plan, verified by an independent firm.
Farmers felt left out of the process.
They wanted a cost-benefit analysis done on the two co-operatives working together and they wanted to see facts so they could make an informed decision, Mr Cochrane said.
Mr Richardson said the proxy forms were obtained quickly and that sent a clear message to the board of Silver Fern Farms that farmers were unhappy about ''going down the foreign investment track'' and the ownership implications that could eventuate.
The company was looking for $100 million in outside capital to accelerate debt reduction and invest in value-added and plant improvement.
The board should have first investigated fully the Meat Industry Excellence-commissioned report that said potential savings of $100 million a year were possible if the two co-operatives merged, he said.
Mr Richardson intended sending the proxy forms to Silver Fern Farms this week.
When contacted yesterday, a Silver Fern Farms spokesman said the company had been notified and it was going through the process of confirming details.
Shareholders would then be notified of the process, he said.
