National Farmers' Federation elects Hamish McIntyre as president
Queensland farmer Hamish McIntyre is taking the helm of Australia's peak farming body. Here’s the latest.
Queensland farmer Hamish McIntyre has been elected the next president of the National Farmers’ Federation, replacing David Jochinke in the top job.
The St George region beef farmer sidelined three rivals for the presidential role — WA farmer John Hassell, fellow Queensland farmer Georgie Somerset and NSW Farmers dairy committee chairman Malcolm Holm.
Mr McIntyre was elected an NFF director in October 2023 and his agri-political resume includes stints as Cotton Australia chairman, Australian Wagyu Association director and Agsafe board director.
“I am honoured to be elected as the NFF president. I look forward to working with our members to advance Australian agriculture,” the incoming president said.
“My priority will be making sure farmers are front and centre in policy discussions in Canberra.”
Mr McIntyre paid tribute to Mr Jochinke, who has served the maximum 12-year term on the NFF board, with the past two as president following six years as vice president.
“DJ leaves a legacy of strong farm advocacy. He stood up for what was right and had access to leaders and decision makers at the highest level,” Mr McIntyre said.
As Mr Jochinke exits, the future of the NFF’s structure itself remains at a crossroads.
Yass beef farmer and agriculture advocate Su McCluskey is interim chief executive officer of the NFF and is expected to take a plan for a new national farm advocacy structure to the members’ council next week. The NFF has been pushed to do this after the resignation of several state farmer organisations from the peak body, citing financial challenges.
Last month Ms McCluskey told The Weekly Times she would also like to see the NFF to tackle “head on” land use conflicts facing rural communities as the renewable energy transition gathers pace.
ANALYSIS: JOCHINKE ERA COINCIDES WITH TURBULENT TIMES
Mr Jochinke will continue to serve as president until the end of the 44th NFF Members’ Council on October 24.
This week, the government walked back its plans to bring in the new tax on super, that could have hit around 3500 farms held in super funds.
The move was celebrated by the farm sector, with Mr Jochinke saying it was “a monumental win for farmers, small business and commonsense”.
But on the live sheep ban, the farm lobby did not enjoy the same level of success.
Last July, parliament passed legislation banning the trade, which Mr Jochinke said was “met with widespread dismay from farmers who had invested into significant reforms for the trade, resulting in world-leading animal welfare outcomes”.
Prior to this, the peak farming body’s leaders took the unprecedented step of issuing a vote of no confidence in the federal government over the policy. This followed a walk out by 16 farming bosses, led by Mr Jochinke, during the then-federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s post-budget speech.
Then, just over a year ago, the NFF led a protest in Canberra where farmers gathered at Parliament House to take part in the first protest endorsed by the NFF in almost 40 years.
Despite these efforts, the trade is still to be phased out by May 2028.
On other recent issues, the NFF has had more luck.
One of the hottest issues on the president’s plate during the Wimmera farmer’s time at the helm included the proposed controversial biosecurity levy,
The Albanese Government ended up backing down on this proposal, which Mr Jochinke had said administration would have been “extremely complex and make compliance a nightmare”.
There will be plenty of work in front of the new president as Mr Jochinke returns to the plains of the Wimmera, just one of nation’s farming regions where the fierce battle for land resources is playing out daily.
