Dairy Board chairman John Storey has been ousted from the dairy company directorship.
In a vote involving just 480 farmers, Te Awamutu dairy farmer Jim van der Poel has broken Mr Storey's 20-year hold on New Zealand DairyGroup's Te Awamutu ward seat.
The Dairy Group board puts Mr Storey on the Dairy Board, so the loss of one seat will cost him the other, right in the middle of historic moves to deregulate the industry and form the country's biggest company. Mr van der Poel, who had the backing of industry heavyweights including Sir Dryden Spring, is understood to have received 58 per cent of votes.
Mr Storey, who ousted Sir Dryden as board chairman in October last year, could serve out his term on the Dairy Board until next June.
But industry sources last night said they doubted he would consider he had the moral authority to continue in the position, and was likely to step down immediately.
Neither Mr Storey, nor Mr van der Poel were available for comment last night.
