Dairy InSight Welcomes New Chairman

2 June 2005

Dairy InSight Welcomes New Chairman and Two New Directors

Dairy InSight has elected Doug Leeder as its new chairman and has welcomed two new directors, Alister Body and Ted Coats.

Mr Body and Mr Coats were elected to the board by dairy farmers during last month's Dairy InSight board elections, while Mr Leeder was elected chairman replacing retiring chairman Ian Robb.

Doug Leeder, a Dairy InSight director for the past two years, runs a dairy farming business of 500 cows in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. He has been involved in industry governance since 1987, having been a director and chairman of both Bay Milk Products and the New Zealand Dairy Group. He was at the forefront of the major changes in the industry that led to the formation of Fonterra.

"As a member of the Dairy InSight Board it has been tremendously satisfying to see Dairy InSight emerge as such an integral player in New Zealand's dairy industry.

"As the newly elected chair, I look forward to the ongoing challenge of ensuring New Zealand dairy farmers receive ever-increasing benefits from the science, research, training and promotional activities into which Dairy InSight invest", says Mr Leeder.

Alister Body, a dairy farmer from the mid-Canterbury region, heavily involved in farmer advocacy and already a farmer representative on Dairy InSight's advisory teams, has his focus firmly on farmers' benefit.

"As a board member I will make sure the momentum continues and that the hard questions are asked when it comes to Dairy InSight's investments," says Mr Body.

Ted Coats, a farmer, from the Waikato, has been an extremely active player in the dairy industry for many years. He has been a farmer representative on Dairy InSight's advisory teams and is also a board member of Livestock Improvement Corporation

Mr Coats, has also stressed the importance of value for money, insisting that Dairy InSight should "deliver real value for levy funds contributed, be transparently accountable to its levy paying members and be responsible for the promotion and protection of dairying in New Zealand."

ENDS

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