New chairman appointed to sheep, beef council

01-07-2010 | Not Specified

Nelson Lakes farmer Malcolm McConochie is the new chairman of the NZ Sheep and Beef Council.

McConochie says he sees many exciting challenges within the industry, including getting research and development going again.

The council plans to build stronger links with Massey, Lincoln and the research institutes and to this end Professor Steve Morris has been invited to be a technical adviser to the group.

McConochie says that according to Morris, a lack of suitable PhD topics has surfaced at Massey, and bringing farmers closer to the researchers should help identify new areas for further study.

"There are also lots of simple things that need to be pushed - like efficient practices of mating of heifers and hoggets," McConochie says.

Vice-chairman for the next two years is Pohangina farmer Rob Kirk, who is the driver behind the Dairy Beef Integration study funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund.

Kirk says there is a real desire for better accountability between the Sheep and Beef Council and Meat and Wool NZ, "operating a model more like the Shareholders Council under Fonterra".

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