Winchester woman on Fonterra council
Winchester businesswoman Michelle Pye has claimed a seat on the Fonterra Shareholder Council after winning an election against fellow candidate, dairy farmer Ad Hendriks.
The agricultural business director co-owns and operates Pye Group with husband Leighton Pye. Pye Group specialises in agricultural contracting, dairying, cropping and grazing.
The couple own eight dairy farms, most of which are on the south side of the Rangitata RIver. They also graze their own dairy stock, grow potatoes and carrots and have a contracting business that bales silage, hay and straw, and plants and harvests fodder beet.
Pye said the couple ‘‘have been with Fonterra since day one,’’ and that she has always had an interest in the cooperative.
‘‘I’ve always tried to go to as many shareholder meetings as I can, and be involved because, as you can imagine, with eight dairy farms we have a massive investment in Fonterra.
‘‘And it makes me annoyed when farmers vote and don’t know or understanding what they are voting for.’’
Pye was surprised and delighted to be voted onto the board.
‘‘I was really grateful for the support from the dairy farmers in the ward. I didn’t want to take anything for granted and Ad was a very credible opponent and farme.’’
Being a mother of young children and active in the family business, she admits she will be very busy with three day meetings bimonthly to attend in Auckland.
‘‘I’ll just have to be more organised,’’ she said.
‘‘But my husband is totally on board and next year I will have fewer children at home.’’
She said she was not a ‘‘practical dairy farmer,’’ but thought the council needed ‘‘a diverse range of skills.’’
‘‘My background is in accounting, but you don’t need 35 practical farmers sitting around the shareholder council table - you need a mix of skills.
‘‘I’m absolutely passionate about Fonterra. It’s our largest company and a fantastic brand.
‘‘With the Synlaits and Oceanias of the world, you are just another supplier and get treated as such. But the farmers own Fonterra.’’
Fonterra was ‘‘putting itself out there’’ at the moment and needed to because the co-operative had ‘‘had a bad rap,’’ she said. ‘‘But it has a story to tell. ‘‘A lot of the New Zealand public don’t understand that Fonterra is owned by farmers and this is what the co-op is trying to let New Zealand know.’’