Sep 30, 2024
Our industry is filled with stories of bravery, of guts and taking the plunge. I was thinking of this after spending some time at the Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) offices in Wellington. I had told someone that bravery is good; I’ll take bravery as long as it is sensible bravery framed by good oversight. That is where governance, and I as the board chair, sit: watching the doing, not doing the doing, but making sure the doing is on the right track.
DINZ Board Chair Paddy Boyd
The DINZ board is a strong board, diverse in its composition. We’ve got a good 50/50 split between producers and processors/exporters. That’s hugely valuable. My role is really about quiet but firm leadership and creating an environment where everybody is given the opportunity to express themselves. It’s not only about providing that opportunity but encouraging those who may have the relevant subject matter expertise to share that knowledge with the room.
It is a board full of expertise – be that Gerard (Hickey, deputy chair) in the commercial space or Jacqueline (Rowarth) in science or any of the other board members in their respective areas. I would encourage all DINZ board members to make themselves available to share that information with DINZ staff, with the CEO’s blessing of course.
At the end of the day, however, we are governors, not managers. Part of my role is to make sure we don’t intrude too far into management. The board has a great deal of confidence in Rhys and the DINZ staff, as well as the refreshed strategy.
Closely tied to board oversight is another priority going forward – accountability. Essentially, do what you’ve been tasked with. If we break that down, it is: create a strategy, build your plans, adhere to both, and meet timelines. If there are problems or concerns, then those problems are raised early so we can look to remediate them with sound options as early as possible. Checks and balances, basically.
I’d say I'm probably harder on myself than I am on others. I demand a high level of myself, but I'm not afraid to seek advice if I need it. I think a real strength is to be always aware that you don't know everything.
We must be transparent with those that pay. Ultimately, we are answerable to our levy payers. Now, we can't always share everything, but we must must share enough to install confidence in the industry.
Finally, an area of perceived concern I would like to see better understood is the relationship between the deer industry and AgResearch. I’m on the board, so I get the information that makes me feel good about that relationship, but it’s certainly possible that communications, and therefore understanding, about that relationship, as well as the changes that have happened over the past 6-12 months, have not been optimal.
As such, it was never the relationship itself that was damaged but the communications, or lack thereof, around it. Now that DINZ has a full-time communications manager, I would expect this to change. The importance of information transfer and its ability to build confidence and growth in any industry should not be underestimated.
Both AgResearch and DINZ staff have been told to look at themselves for spend. AgResearch has had constraints put on it by government. They were told to have a reduction in spend and that they had to be more transparent for the projects that they did actually had effect. I'm not saying research will suffer for that, but it needs to be effective, and it needs to be timely. You do have to be more responsible for your spend.
Ultimately, the relationship between Deer Industry NZ and AgResearch is sound, with a common goal and a willingness to work together on both sides.
Long-term, I want to see our industry thrive. We have some truly great products, and there is demand out there from discerning, high-value customers willing to pay good money for our products.
We don’t want to be just selling meat, aiming for sheer volume. We want value. I don’t want to bang on, but we need to get our high-value venison (and high-value, quality-assured velvet) in front of high-end customers in markets that recognise and value our products. And that comes down to relationships. Each sector in our industry – be they producer or processor or exporter – needs to be on the same wavelength. It’s not about numbers; its about returns and value.
I want every single person involved in the deer industry to see what I see and feel what I feel. I want them to feel confident. I want them to feel proud of what they do and the part they play. I want them to see the potential for a positive future so they want to continue to invest in our industry, so that our industry can succeed now and into the future.
