A second candidate standing for the board of meat company Silver Fern Farms has expressed concern it has moved away from co-operative principles.
North Waikato beef farmer Oliver Saxton said he was totally supportive of the plate to pasture integrated supply chain direction the Dunedin meat company was following, but was concerned shareholders did not feel they were part of the company.
His comments mirror those of another board candidate, former director David Shaw, who also claims the board was not acting like a co-operative.
Mr Saxton and Mr Shaw are challenging sitting directors who are retiring by rotation but standing again, Joe Ferraby and chairman Eoin Garden.
As part of making the company inclusive, Mr Saxton said it was important to increase North Island farmer representation from the current one, Angus Mabin, as the North Island made up half SFF's business.
He was also keen to see an improvement in the company's financial situation, saying the current profitability was not satisfactory.
Mr Saxton has been a director of Ballance Agri Nutrients since 2001, is chairman of two Canterbury dairy farm owning companies and a member of the Institute of Directors.
