Newly elected B+LNZ NNI Director, Phil Weir, offers insights into his initial weeks in the role, reflecting on his motivations for candidacy and what he hopes to contribute to the Board on behalf of farmers.
For Phil, running for the B+LNZ Director position was a no-brainer having already served as part of the B+LNZ Farmer Council, he was keen to use his experience to contribute more for farmers on the ground.
Phil has a strong belief that farmers need to focus on what can be controlled, which is good farming practices.
Phil says, “I wanted to be a director so that I can help ensure levy money is working in support of farmers.
“Levy money can make a real difference when used as a collective investment geared towards enhancing farming practices, emphasising cooperation and knowledge sharing.
The direction of the strategy refresh, which is under development, has a greater focus behind the farm-gate and really hits the nail on the head for what farmers like me are hoping for from B+LNZ.”
Reflecting on the B+LNZ Annual Meeting and Showcase held in Nelson last month, Phil felt it was a good opportunity for farmers to have their say and air any concerns.
“It was great to be able to come together and chat on important topics and I'm excited to hit the ground running and get out there and engage with farmers in my region.
“I think it's really important to be having these conversations and sharing experiences and I would like to encourage farmers in my region to share what's on their mind and raise any issues with me as they come up. We don't need to wait for an Annual Meeting to be having these talks.
“I am going to be working hard to ensure I have a presence at field days and events, if there is something you want to chat about, please come talk to me.”
Finally, when asked if there were any surprises for Phil in his new role, he without hesitation says the New Zealand Meat Board.
“I did my research into B+LNZ as a farmer, levy payer and as part of the B+LNZ Farmer Council so I knew what to expect there.
“What I didn’t know as much about was NZMB and how it operates as a separate entity to B+LNZ. NZMB does important work to enable our products to enter international markets and receive the best possible value.
“Despite us as farmers having less day-to-day involvement with the organisation it does important work, I am excited to learn more about NZMB’s work and to contribute positively to the organisation.”