Nine vie for seat on Ballance board

Mavis Mullins

A swag of region farmers and agribusiness people have put their hands up to be one of two Ward B representatives for fertiliser co-operative Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

Among them are Harvey Bell, Andy Law, Greg Maughan, Mavis Mullins and Mike Plowman. They will all be known to fellow farmers.

Ballance Agri-Nutrients sells fertiliser products and gives advice about soil nutrients. Its revenue is close to $1 billion a year.

It has 18,500 farmer shareholders and is governed by a board of nine directors, six of them elected, two for each of its three wards.

A vacancy opened up for Ward B - most of the lower North Island - when Dean Nikora resigned. The person elected will see out the remaining two years of Mr Nikora's three-year term.

Nine people are vying for his position, six men and three women. Their photographs, philosophies and contact details are on the company's website - www.ballance.co.nz.

It says Harvey Bell was brought up on a farm near Taihape, and is a former secretary of the Atihau Whanganui and Morikau incorporations. He's now the CEO of a Manawatu business development entity and a business consultant. He's also the climate change spokesman for the Federation of Maori Authorities.

Andy Law's partnership manages several sheep, beef and deer farms in the Taihape area, including his own award-wining Glenelg farm. He's got an agriculture degree and diploma and active in the Taihape community.

Greg Maughan has a dairy farm of 400 cows, with a herd home, near Marton. He's won and judged sharemilker awards, and helps mentor the winners of dairy awards.

Mavis Mullins has multiple farm interests in sheep, beef, dairy and forestry. She's also the co-owner of a shearing business. She has a long list of director roles, including with 2degrees mobile, and is the current chairwoman of the Atihau Whanganui Incorporation.

Mike Plowman farms sheep and beef at Owhango, near Taumarunui, and has been elected to local and regional council positions. He's concerned Ballance's goal of peak performance may be conflicted by its environmental policy.

Voting packs went out on October 25, and voting ends on November 18. Voters who have received packs can also vote online.

Voting is weighted by the number of shares each voter has.