Applications sought for board-appointed SFF Co-op farmer director

Rob Hewett

Silver Fern Farms Co-operative is seeking applications for a newly established board-appointed farmer director.

A review of its constitution earlier this year — following the joint venture with Shanghai Maling — covered governance development, appointed supplier directors and limits on the tenure of directors, as well as farmer-elected director eligibility and voting eligibility.

In a statement yesterday, chairman Rob Hewett said the new role opened up a directorship opportunity on the co-operative board that would assist in ensuring "constructive rejuvenation" of its governors.

It would ensure the co-operative had a sound succession plan in place to ensure active farmer-elected directors were well equipped and gained governance experience.

To be eligible, candidates must be a current shareholder of the co-operative and have supplied a minimum of 400 stock units to Silver Fern Farms for each of the two years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Eligibility also included those with a legal or beneficial interest in a shareholder supplier.

The successful applicant would be appointed to the board for a maximum term of three years, after which they would need to make themselves available for election if they wanted to continue. They could choose to seek election before the term expired.

They would not be eligible to be appointed to the board of directors of Silver Fern Farms Ltd until such time as they had successfully been elected as a farmer-elected director of the co-operative. Applications close on December 20.