Golden Bay farmer Wayne Langford. Photo / Supplied
Golden Bay farmer Wayne Langford. Photo / Supplied
Golden Bay dairy farmer Wayne Langford has been elected vice president of Federated Farmers.
Langford, who has served as Feds dairy industry chair for the last two years, is also known as the "YOLO Farmer" through his work promoting rural mental health and his role as co-founder offood charity Meat the Need.
Langford will be joined by three new board members, new dairy chair Richard McIntyre and two "at large" members Sandra Faulkner and Mark Hooper.
President Andrew Hoggard was re-elected unopposed.
The announcements were made on Friday last week at the association's AGM in Auckland and board vacancies were created when Chris Lewis, Chris Allen and vice president Karen Williams stepped down.
The other nomination for vice president was from former Otago provincial president Simon Davies.
Feds chief executive Terry Copeland told the meeting the fact that a number of people had put their hands up for board positions was a sign the organisation was in good health.
Copeland said the role of vice president was seen as a stepping stone to the Feds' president role, arguably one of the most influential in agriculture but also one that was demanding and time-consuming.
Listen to Rowena Duncum interview Wayne Langford on The Country below:
It was positive that highly able and experienced candidates had sought the vice president post, Copeland said.
Langford told the AGM there was no shortage of challenges facing agriculture "but I believe we have more opportunities in front of us than we do headwinds".
With local body elections this year, and a general election next year, Federated Farmers' advocacy efforts were vital, he said.
Leaders of the Federated Farmers' three industry groups were elected by delegates from 24 provinces at the sector AGMs on Thursday last week.
Those elected are Colin Hurst (Arable Industry Chair), Richard McIntyre (Dairy Industry Chair) and William Beetham (Meat & Wool Industry Chair).
