Phil McKenzie has been appointed to the new position following the appointment late last year of former Primary Growth Partnership programme manager Innes Moffat to chief executive.
McKenzie will now manage the on-farm components of the industry’s Passion2Profit (P2P) programme as well as the development of Dinz’s farm-facing services.
In those roles he will work closely with Dinz producer manager Tony Pearse and environmental stewardship manager Lindsay Fung.
Over the past year McKenzie has worked part-time for DINZ as the P2P environment project manager.
“We are increasingly focusing the on-farm side of the P2P programme on helping our farmers improve water quality and biodiversity and to meet climate change obligations,” Moffat said.
“Meeting market and social expectations for animal and environmental management will enhance the value of the industry.”
Deer farmers have long been leaders in good environmental practice, Moffat said.
“The challenge is to fit that good practice into a framework that complies with district plans and new and proposed legislation.”
McKenzie has been helping farmers complete their farm environment plans and that work will continue.
“Our formula of bringing together groups of deer farmers where they can learn from each other with the support of skilled consultants is working well,” McKenzie said.
“I’ve been impressed by the spirit of innovation among deer farmers, their ambition to excel and their willingness to collaborate.
“There is, of course, much still to be done, which is what excites me about this new role – working with others to design practical on-farm solutions that work.”
McKenzie, originally from a Southland farm, has worked in many regions in NZ and overseas.
He has deep farm systems knowledge and extensive agribusiness experience, including valuable experience with Pamu, where his most senior role was general manager for environment.
