The National Party has chosen farm business director Barbara Kuriger as its Taranaki-King Country candidate in this year's general election.
The seat is held by National MP Shane Ardern who is stepping down from politics at the next election. Mrs Kuriger (pictured) was selected at a meeting of local party members in Te Kuiti on Sunday night and said later she was honoured to receive the nomination.
A shareholder and director of three family-owned farming businesses, Mrs Kuriger said succession planning has allowed her to follow her passion for the agribusiness industry into the roles of governance.
In 2012 she was awarded the inaugural Dairy Women of the Year which came with a Fonterra scholarship to participate in the Global Women's Breakthrough Leadership Programme, from which she graduated in September last year.
She is currently on the board of DairyNZ, Dairy Training Ltd, Primary ITO, NZ Young Farmers, Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, Te Kauta, Venture Taranaki Trust, and the Dairy Women's Network. She also chairs the Primary Industries Capability Alliance and is a columnist with the New Zealand Farmers Weekly and does regular opinion pieces on radio.