Sheep milk cheddar named NZ’s top cheese
New Zealand’s top cheeses for 2025 have been announced and family-owned, Oamaru-based Whitestone Cheese is the big winner.
Voting closes at 12 noon on Thursday, 17 October and DairyNZ says voting rates are tracking about on par with the previous few years.
However, it is urging farmers to exercise their right to vote.
“If you haven’t cast your vote yet, our message is this: the closing date is fast-approaching, so don’t miss out on a crucial opportunity to help shape the leadership of DairyNZ.”
Two DairyNZ board positions are available and there are three candidates - Jacqueline Rowarth (Tirau), Richard McIntyre (Levin), and Kylie Leonard (Taupo). Farmers can view candidate profiles, videos and a recording of DairyNZ’s ‘Meet the Candidates’ webinar, all available online at dairynz.co.nz/elections.
To vote, farmers should use the details in their voting pack or email to log onto the voting site and cast their vote.
The successful candidates will join DairyNZ’s board, which consists of five farmer-elected directors and three board-appointed independent directors.
There are also four resolutions for farmers to vote on in their vote pack, including the appointment of independent director David Hunt and changes to the rules of DairyNZ to reflect new regulatory changes and capturing recent feedback from farmers.
Further details on the resolutions and proposed changes are available in the notice of meeting booklet in farmer voting packs and online. More information is at dairynz.co.nz/elections.
This year’s DairyNZ annual general meeting will be held at the Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch from 7pm on Tuesday 22 October.
Guest speaker, Professor Grant Edwards, vice-chancellor of Lincoln University, will speak about how Lincoln University’s science and demonstration supports the dairy sector.
The AGM will then reflect on the past year’s highlights, present the 2023/24 audited financial accounts and discuss DairyNZ’s strategy and future investment priorities.
