Queensland farmer and grazier Hamish McIntyre has been elected as the President of the National Farmers’ Federation.

Elected by NFF Members as the organisation’s 15th President, Mr McIntyre takes the reins from outgoing President and Victorian farmer David ‘DJ’ Jochinke.

Mr McIntyre has previously served as chair of Cotton Australia and is a director of the Australian Wagyu Association. Picture: Australian Wagyu Association

Mr McIntyre runs a family owned, irrigated and dryland farming, cattle breeding, beef feedlot and broiler chicken meat business in the St George, Dirranbandi, Quilpie and Beaudesert districts in Queensland.

The family operation comprises 143,800ha and includes breeding properties in western Queensland, backgrounding and dryland cropping and irrigation enterprises in the Balonne and Maranoa districts and two feedlots at St George and Roma. Mr McIntyre runs McIntyre Agriculture with his wife, Mary and three sons, Stirling, Finlay and Campbell.

McIntyre Agriculture has also been a successful exhibitor of Wagyu and Angus cross cattle in the annual RNA Paddock to Palate commercial cattle competition in Queensland.

Mr McIntyre was elected as an NFF Director in October 2023 and his broad involvement in agriculture includes serving as Cotton Australia Chair and as a Director on the Australian Wagyu Association and Agsafe Boards.

“I am honoured to be elected as the NFF President. I look forward to working with our members to advance Australian agriculture. My priority will be making sure farmers are front and centre in policy discussions in Canberra,” Mr McIntyre said.

Mr McIntyre paid tribute to outgoing President Mr Jochinke, who has served the maximum 12-year term on the NFF board, the past two as President following six years as Vice President. He was the first Victorian Farmers’ Federation organisation President to also serve as NFF 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. Under his leadership, the NFF has delivered significant wins for farmers, including scrapping two taxes – the Biosecurity Protection Levy and the Super Tax.

“But at the heart of what DJ strived to achieve was putting people first. Under his leadership, farmer mental health, wellbeing and safety became key priorities for the NFF. This focus led to the creation of a national mental health coalition supported by more than 50 organisations across agriculture, health and rural sectors.”

Mr Jochinke will continue to serve as President until the end of the 44th NFF Members’ Council meeting on Friday 24 October.

Boardmember elections

Following the announcement earlier today that Hamish McIntyre has been elected the new NFF President, Ben Bennett and Peter Herrmann have this afternoon been elected to the NFF Board.

They replace outgoing Directors NSW mixed farmer Lisa Minogue and David Connolly who is the General Manager at Tipperary Group of Stations in the NT.

Mr Bennett is the President of Australian Dairy Farmers and is based in Victoria, while NSW farmer Mr Herrmann is the President of Ricegrowers Association.

They will join President Hamish McIntyre, Vice President John Hassell, and directors Georgie Somerset and Mark Horan on the NFF Board.

All positions will be ratified at the AGM on Monday 20 October.

The new board will be effective after NFF Members’ Council on Friday 24 October.