Northland sheep and beef farmer James Parsons has been appointed the chair-elect of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Current chair Mike Petersen is standing down in March and the Beef + Lamb board hopes Mr Parsons will be able to properly take over from him next year.
Mr Parsons, who is also the northern North Island director for Beef + Lamb, says he brings his knowledge as a grassroots farmer as well as a familiarity with Government circles to the role.
He says challenges facing the industry are volatility in terms of pricing and increasing costs for farmers.
Mr Parsons says ageing farmers and the high cost of entry into farming mean more innovative ways of looking at the issue of succession are needed.
He says the increasing focus on environmental regulation is another issue for farmers.
Mr Parsons says he wants to make sure the famer-owned industry organisation continues to deliver value to farmers.
A final decision on Mr Parsons' appointment will be made by the new board after the first annual meeting of next year.
