Geoffrey Young is Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s new southern South Island director

Former president of Southland Federated Farmers Geoffrey Young is now the southern South Island director for Beef + Lamb NZ. Photo / Supplied

Southland sheep and beef farmer Geoffrey Young has been elected to the Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) board as southern South Island director.

A former Southland Federated Farmers president, Young replaces incumbent director and B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison for the electorate, which covers the Southland region and Clutha district.

The election was held as part of the 2023 B+LNZ annual meeting process. Turnout in the Southern South Island director election was 36 per cent.

Young had a winning margin of 2190, with 8777 weighted votes over Morrison’s 6587.

While Morrison had worked “extremely hard” for B+LNZ, “the vast majority of rank and file grassroots farmers” were ready for a change, Young told The Country’s, Jamie Mackay.

“Look, at the end of the day, I think farmers felt that ... not only Andrew, but the board just weren’t following the pathway that farmers thought they should have been in terms of advocacy.”

Although he only had one seat, Young thought his majority vote would make the rest of the board “take notice”.

“It’s proving to Beef and Lamb that, really, there’s a lot of discontent out there.”

Morrison’s term will conclude at the end of the B+LNZ annual meeting in New Plymouth on Thursday, March 30, and the board will elect a new chair following the meeting.

At the same time, Morrison’s term with the New Zealand Meat board will conclude and that board will elect a new chair following the B+LNZ annual meeting.

Mackay asked if meeting in New Plymouth would be “fiery”.

“There will be some robust debate,” Young said.

He said the meeting would continue after lunch - rather than attendees taking a farm tour - and he hoped that business could be “tidied up properly” this way.

Listen below:

Young said his focus at the meeting would be on creating “unity” with Federated Farmers and DairyNZ.

“I’ve already spoken to senior people in both those organisations and I think we can do a lot more together behind closed doors.”

He was also keen to promote cooperation within B+LNZ.

“I’m certainly not going in there with a big stick to beat up the board.”

Also in today’s interview: Young opined on how former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Government had affected farmers, and what he thought of B+LNZ teaming up with 50 Shades of Green.