That is why northern Southland farmer Geoffrey Young is challenging incumbent Beef + Lamb New Zealand director (and national chairman) Andrew Morrison in the Southern South Island electorate in this year’s B+LNZ director elections.
This week, Mr Young said the election gave farmers "a clear choice"; there appeared to be a significant number of farmers who felt disenchanted with the direction the organisation was headed, particularly around greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater regulations, Significant Natural Areas and biodiversity.
"The methane targets are the biggest problem with He Waka Eke Noa and lacking the ability to claim full sequestration on farm, along with concerns about lack of consultation from B+LNZ with farmers on many regulations. Word on the ground is many feel they were not listened to," he said.
Mr Young is a former president of Southland Federated Farmers and stood for the Southland mayoralty last year, where he was narrowly beaten by Rob Scott.
If elected to B+LNZ, his main focus would be around advocacy — "to try and achieve more cohesion and unity among our agri groups so we can have a strong rural voice in Wellington".
"B+LNZ do some great work in their core business but we need to tidy up advocacy. There are several other initiatives I hope to put forward to the board when elected," he said.
Born and raised a Southlander, the high-country farmer said it was an unsettling time in the farming sector. Farmers were "battening down the hatches" and not spending on anything other than necessities, waiting to see "what this year brings".
Mr Young embarked on his farming career in the 1980s, an era when it was tough on the farm, mainly due to interest rates, not environmental concerns.
To get through required running very low-cost farming systems and working very hard.
Interest rates were a "killer" and it was a brutal time; some farmers went out of business. This time, farmers were being regulated out business and were feeling under enormous pressure, he said.
Mr Young had good support for his election campaign, saying he had been asked to stand by some prominent people. Both Federated Farmers and Groundswell New Zealand had been supportive, he said.
Candidate profiles and voting papers will be posted mid-February and election day will be March 22.
