DairyNZ Urges Farmers to Plan for Higher Costs in 2026/27 Season
Farmers should be cautiously optimistic as the 2026/27 season kicks off, says DairyNZ.
DairyNZ's long-serving chairman John Luxton will step down later this year.
Chairman since 2007, Luxton was a founding director of DairyNZ, during the transition from two earlier industry organisations – Dexcel and Dairy Insight.
Luxton began as a director with Dexcel in 2003.
DairyNZ today announced that nominations open this week for farmer-elected directors. Luxton is not seeking re-election.
Nominations open on August 5 and close on August 28, with voting held from September.
Two other directors' positions are up for election, with Michael Spaans and Ben Allomes retiring by rotation, but still eligible to stand for re-election.
Returning officer Anthony Morton says nominations must be received by 12noon on Friday, August 28.
All farmers paying a levy on milksolids to DairyNZ are eligible to stand for election.
An information pack outlining criteria and nomination requirements for the positions can be obtained from the returning officer or via the websites.
"If more than the required nominations are received, elections will be carried out by postal, fax and internet voting using the STV (single transferable vote) voting method. Votes will be weighted by annual milksolids production. Voter packs will be posted on September 14 to all registered DairyNZ levy payers," Morton says.
Results will be announced at the DairyNZ annual general meeting in the Waikato on October 13.
In advance of the Budget, Finance Minister Nicola Willis put a clear damper on expectations and delivered accordingly.
Farmers should be cautiously optimistic as the 2026/27 season kicks off, says DairyNZ.
RaboResearch senior analyst Emma Higgins expects the 2026/27 dairy season to be another profitable one.
The new dairy season is kicking off with plenty of risks to the forecast farmgate price, both upside and downside, says ANZ agricultural economist Matt Dilly.
A potential showdown between the top two Federated Farmers leaders looms at the farmer lobby's annual meeting later this month.
FarmIQ Systems has developed a free land management app to help remove barriers to New Zealand farmers and growers adopting digital tools.