By Philippa Stevenson
Four of the five directors of the new apple export regulatory organisation, the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board, have been put on the board by growers.
A Hawkes Bay pipfruit grower, Rupert Ryan, who also operates a commercial packhouse, topped a poll of 13 candidates in direct grower
elections.
The second-highest polling grower in the postal election that closed on Saturday was a Nelson grower, Alan Rowling.
The two appointments to the board by the Pipfruit Growers of NZ are John Beckett, who has experience in finance, administration and logistics with the Dairy Board, and Ron Carpenter, a businessman whose experience is in commerce and logistics.
Yesterday the four members began a hunt for a chairman who, according to recently passed regulations, must be independent of the industry.
The new board, which has to be established by November 1, sets and oversees exporting terms for exporter Enza, and appoints members to the new Export Permits Committee,which decides which other organisations can also export.
Meanwhile, in Wool Board elections, deputy chairman Tim Ensor and sitting director Lochie MacGillivray have been returned for further three-year terms.
