A new president of the NSW Farmers Association has been elected unopposed with Moree farmer Rebecca Reardon taking the reins of the peak NSW farming body replacing outgoing president Xavier Martin who came to the position in 2022. Ms Reardon thanked Mr Martin for his contribution to the organisation over the last 30 years. In his final address Mr Martin said that he’d love to say that he was stepping away with the job done, of course, that’s never realistic for our organisation, “As the world around us changes, so too does our industry and the challenges and opportunities ahead of our industry and farming families,” Mr Martin said. “There are key policy areas where I strongly believe our association must continue to strive for change. Biosecurity will remain an ongoing priority, with threats such as avian flu, lumpy skin, FMD, fire ants, and the burgeoning feral pest problem. “The headlong energy transition, with its dreadful lack of planning, must also be treated as a threat and managed much more carefully, as transmission lines, renewable energy zones, and inadequate consultation continue to impact regional communities and productive farmlands.” Ms Reardon is a mixed farmer from Moree, where she is actively involved with her husband Dan, in all aspects of the Moree community where she they have raised their three children. She has over 20 years in leadership roles for agribusiness companies, specialising in supply chain management and international and domestic commodity marketing in grains and fertilisers bringing extensive commercial sector experience to the role. Over the last four years she has been in the role of NSW Farmers vice president. "My inspiration for stepping into this role is to get agriculture in NSW and NSW Farmers Association in a stronger place for the next generation," Ms Reardon said. “If farmers and rural communities don’t have a voice, they’ll be dealt a poorer hand." Her new vice president is Brocklesby grain grower and livestock producer Justin Everitt. Mr Everitt and wife Kate produce wheat, canola, barley, lupins, wool and prime lambs and trade cattle on a third-generation family farm. Mr Everitt is recognised as a leader in the grains industry, serving as chair of the NSW Farmers Grains Committee since 2021.
