Ninety-two dairy farmers eager to join the watchdog of the new Global Dairy Company have put their names forward for 46 seats on the Shareholders Council.
Competition is keenest in the Manawatu, where nine nominations have been received for the two ward seats.
The nominees include DairyFarmers of NZ chairman Charlie Pedersen and former Federated Farmers president Malcolm Bailey.
The next most hotly contested wards are Coastal Taranaki, with seven candidates for two seats, and Central Northland, with six candidates for the same number of seats.
Elections will be held in 18 of the 25 wards. In the others, the number of nominations and the vacancies matched.
The council will be dominated by men; just six women stood, all in the North Island.
The council's role is to work with GlobalCo's board to develop the company's cooperative principles and approve its mission statement.
Almost as soon as they are elected, members will have to appoint the valuer of the company's shares and work with the Minister of Agriculture to appoint the supplier disputes guardian, known as the Milk Commissioner.
The council is regarded as a training ground for potential directors of the company.
GlobalCo chairman John Roadley said he was pleased that so many shareholders were prepared to represent their neighbours on the council.
Voting forms will be posted to shareholders on Thursday with profiles of the candidates. The voting deadline is noon on August 3.
