Michelle Pye elected to Fonterra board
Canterbury farmer Michelle Pye has been elected to Fonterra’s board for a three-year term.
A Beef + Lamb NZ director who ‘liked’ an anti-farming newspaper columnist's tweet last week has raised eyebrows in farming circles.
Read: Cheap shots offend many.
NZ Herald columnist Rachael Stewart is facing backlash on social media for falsely implying last year that former Fonterra chairman John Wilson was faking ill-health.
Following news of Wilson's death, Stewart tweeted last week, “Turns out John wasn’t in “fine fettle” - but neither was Fonterra at the time. Before his deification gathers full steam, who do I make my unreserved apology out to?”
Melissa Clark-Reynolds, who follows Stewart, says she liked the “apology” Rachael Stewart tweeted last week. She liked a further tweet by Stewart, "I normally never drink 'mother's ruin' but, given a day of heat as I've never felt before in NZ, I'm about to pour a Rogue gin, with tonic, ice and lime. Thought For The Day: Even when you apologise, some people will never accept it. Why? Because they just don't like you. CHEERS!"
An independent director, appointed by the BLNZ board, Clark-Reynolds has refused to apologise to farmers for her thoughtless action, but concedes Stewart’s initial tweet about John Wilson’s was “atrocious”.
“I liked the fact that she apologised last week.”
BLNZ chairman Andrew Morrison was asked if Clark-Reynolds – who is paid $33,000 a year by meat levy payers, many of them Fonterra shareholders – should apologise to dairy farmers, most of them also BLNZ levy payers.
“Beef + Lamb New Zealand has extended its condolences to John Wilson’s family and friends following his recent passing. Melissa Clark-Reynolds uses her Twitter account in a personal capacity,” Morrison told Rural News.
Canterbury farmer Michelle Pye has been elected to Fonterra’s board for a three-year term.
Farmers are welcoming the announcement of two new bills to replace the under-fire Resource Management Act.
The Government has announced it will immediately roll over all resource consents for two years, with legislation expected to pass under urgency as early as this week.
The New Zealand National Fieldays Society has achieved a major sustainability milestone - reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and reaching the target five years early.
Fonterra's 2025/26 financial year is off to a strong start, with a first quarter group profit after tax of $278 million- up $15m on the previous year.
Government plans to get rid of regional councillors shows a lack of understanding of the fundamental problem affecting all of local government - poor governance.

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