Sharemilkers and dairy farmers respond to call

Sharemilkers and dairy farmers respond to call

After being sent a rocket just over a week before DairyNZ’s 2014 levy referendum vote closed, sharemilkers and dairy farmers have responded with the strongest turnout since 2002.

“What an amazing turnaround from apathy to action,” says Neil Filer, Federated Farmers Sharemilkers section chairperson.

“From just over 20 percent sharemilker turnout with a week to go we’ve ended up with a shareholder turnout, 13 percent up on the 2009 result.

“Maybe that’s the answer to turnout in the General Election.

“We create lame reasons that excuse people, especially young people, from not voting as opposed to calling a spade a spade and making it clear what’s expected of them. If you want the right you have obligations too and this last point isn’t being stressed enough.

“To shock our guys of complacency we did just that into taking this critical levy vote seriously,” Mr Filer added.

Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Group chairperson, Willy Leferink, was pleased to see the industry had responded to the call to vote.

“I am very happy to see 60 percent of dairy farmers voted and it is great to have over three-quarters backing for it,” Mr Leferink explained.

“It is great to see the best turnout after farmers got into gear pretty late in the piece. We needed a good showing to lock in the DairyNZ levy and that’s what the industry has delivered,” Mr Leferink concluded.

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