PHOTO
New Zealand Meat Board’s first chairwoman Kate Acland says a "rainy day" contingency fund for farmers is being managed prudently.
Ms Acland, who co-owns Mt Somers Station in Canterbury, joined the board in 2021 and takes over from chairman Andrew Morrison after being elected chairwoman of Beef + Lamb New Zealand last month.
The meat board oversees $2.3 billion of red meat exports to the quota markets of the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States.
This role is set to expand further into administering the free trade agreement quotas between the UK and New Zealand.
Ms Acland said the meat board had played a vital role in the red meat sector for more than 100 years.
"Another important responsibility of the board is managing the farmer livestock reserves, the ‘rainy day’ contingency fund, which would help New Zealand to re-enter export markets following a biosecurity incursion or disruption to quota markets."
She said the meat board was responsible for managing the fund’s $77 million prudently and channelling interest from the reserves into funding industry-good projects.
"Over the years, this has included sheep genetics, pastoral genomics, market development and most recently the Informing New Zealand beef genetics programme, which is giving farmers the right genetic tools to help them produce great-tasting beef and drive production efficiency on farm."
The meat board is funding the programme by up to $1.4 million after 68% of farmers agreed to its support.
"We believe this is a prudent investment for the good of the beef sector and is laying the groundwork for the work B+LNZ is already doing in dairy beef and with bobby calves," she said.
She and her husband David farm sheep, beef, deer and dairy at Mt Somers Station and employ 30 staff in farm and off-farm businesses.
Before joining her husband in his family farming operation, she developed the Sugar Loaf Wines vineyard and winery in Marlborough.
Farmers voting at the annual meeting supported the reappointment of KPMG as auditor, but did not support an increase in annual director fees.
The proposal to increase the chairwoman’s fees to $31,515 from $29,900 and directors $17,705 from $16,800 was voted against by 53% of farmers.
