2022 VFF elections: Mumford challenges Germano for top job

The battle is on for the VFF presidency with a well-known farmer throwing his hat in the ring against incumbent Emma Germano.

Emma Germano is standing for president again, as two rivals emerge to challenge her.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano is being challenged for the top job by former United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Paul Mumford.

The Gippsland dairy farmer said he was standing to re-empower the federation’s commodity groups and “bring stability to its staff and board”.

The challenge follows claims of a slump in VFF membership, from about 6000 farmers two years ago to about 4200 today, plus an exodus of staff in the wake of a major restructure that led to divisions within the lobby group as commodity groups were stripped of resources.

Disgruntled staff told The Weekly Times 23 had left since May last year, including former chief executive Jane Lovell, eight commodity managers, four senior executives and four policy staff.

Paul Mumford and Emma Germano will battle it out for VFF presidency.

Half the VFF’s Chicken Meat Group members, including most of the state’s largest growers, also left the federation last November.

As a former VFF director Mr Mumford said “some people might say I was part of the problem, but I was just one vote”.

Ms Germano, whose term expires on December 15, has previously refused to comment on her performance and when contacted for comment for this article said it: “would be more appropriate when nominations close, and I’ve actually nominated”.

However Ms Germano told Channel 9’s Laura Turner on October 9 she would run for president again.

Another candidate has also indicated she will stand for the presidency, but told The Weekly Times she wanted to first see the VFF’s latest financials and membership figures before lodging her nomination.

Nominations for president and vice-president opened last night, despite VFF interim chief executive Robert Taylor informing staff on Monday that he had “instructed the board not to proceed with elections at this time and as a result, we will be postponing our election process for the time being for a variety of reasons”.

“As returning officer, I will instruct how and when our election process will proceed”.

But Mr Taylor’s edict was overturned by VFF board members yesterday and called for nominations to open immediatley.

The board has also called for all members be sent postal ballots, and is also now considering allowing members to vote via phone and email, given the floods.

During the last election, VFF members were asked to vote electronically, with postal ballots offered only on request.

Poor internet access and confusion over nominee numbers led to just 940 of the VFF’s then 6000 members voting in the 2020 election, which led to Ms Germano being elected on the back of 580 votes compared to 324 votes for her rival, Ouyen farmer Leonard Vallance.

At the time VFF life member Ian Hastings said it took him three goes to get on to the electronic voting system, while other members describer the process as “very ordinary”.

As for trying to obtain a postal ballot the VFF demanded members submit a request for a one via phone, email or using yet another online portal.

The VFF has also called for nominations for:

UNITED Dairy Farmers president and dairy representatives for region four (North East Valleys) and six (South Gippsland)

LIVESTOCK Group president, vice-president and representatives for the Wimmera, Corangamite, East Gippsland, the North East, plus an additional councillor.

Nominations are open until the close of business Monday October 31.