New arable and dairy chairmen were elected at the province's annual meeting, held at the Waimakariri Gorge Golf Club, near Oxford, on Friday, April 5.
Oxford farmer Roscoe Taggart was elected as the new arable chairman replacing Reuben Carter, while the new dairy chairman is Leeston sharemilker Karl Dean, replacing Michael Woodward, with Tracey Sandbrook as dairy vice-chairwoman.
President Cameron Henderson, of Oxford, and senior vice-president Dan Hodgen, of Waikari, were both re-elected, along with meat and wool chairman Dan Maxwell, of Cheviot, and sharemilker spokesman Theo Sneek, of Oxford.
Mr Taggart was also elected treasurer.
Mr Cameron sent his annual report ''from the back blocks of Brazil'', where he was visiting as part of his Nuffield Scholarship, which he said gave him ''perspective''.
''New Zealand is an amazing place to live and despite all the challenges we face, I would still farm in New Zealand over anywhere I have visited so far.
''We have a (mostly) stable government, strong trade agreements, relatively few biosecurity issues and strong prices across most sectors this year.''
Mr Carter reflected on a successful year in his final arable section report, with ''a fantastic growing season'', despite ''a host of early disease issues''.
''But this aside, not having to irrigate crops very often has reduced a lot of growers' overheads, increased yields and a firm grain/seed price has most growers looking favourable on the season.''
Mr Maxwell said it had been an interesting first 12 months as meat and wool chairman, with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) making the decision to attempt to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis soon after he took office.
''It's still early days to determine whether or not eradication will be successful, however many still believe it's worth a crack.''
A wool working group was formed last year at the request of Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor to develop a strategy to better promote wool for its ''sustainability, warmth, durability, health, fire-retardant and other qualities over synthetics''.
Mr Maxwell said the Federated Farmers national meat and wool council had voted to support a compulsory wool levy, ''but only if the cross-industry wool working group comes up with a clear, practical and compelling blueprint for lifting wool's profile and returns''.
Mr Woodward said the latest season ''has been relatively plain sailing''.
''Summer arrived late and then proceeded to continue longer than most would have thought, which as put pressure on irrigation systems and schemes to keep up.
''One thing I have learnt in my time in Canterbury is that our irrigation buys resilience and consistency and this is very true again this year. ''
-By David Hill
