6 October 2023
Charlotte Connoley has become the first female president of the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA).
Charlotte was elected at the association’s annual general meeting, held earlier this week in Auckland, to succeed Michael Hales as president.
Charlotte has more than 20 years of experience in the seed industry, she joined the NZGSTA executive in 2018, being the first female executive in the Association’s 100-year history, and has been chair of the Vegetable Business Group also since 2018.
Currently, Charlotte is Co-Owner and General Manager of Kings Seeds (New Zealand) Ltd an ecommerce seed company based out of the Bay of Plenty supplying home gardeners and wholesale customers nationwide.
Charlotte said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the Association. The focus will still remain firmly on member value initiatives – opportunities for education, advocacy, collaboration and trade.
Questioned on being the first female President of the Association “Personally it is important to me that females within our industry feel supported to take roles at any level throughout their organizations that they are qualified for. Demand for knowledgeable primary sector employees is always strong in NZ with an ag/hort based economy and so the challenge remains for the seed industry to be an attractive employer of diverse talent.
“The seed industry in New Zealand is recognised worldwide as a critical component in the agri-food value chain and as a leading counter-season producer, processor and exporter of high-quality seed. We have a highly motivated group of industry members who are contributing to growth and change within the industry.
“Operationally whilst we have seen some improvements in policy there still remains many uncertainties affecting the entire agriculture sector that could impose additional compliance burdens on business. Our relationship with government agencies such as the Ministry for Primary Industries remains key to clear communication to work through these challenges for our sector.
“The Association continues to evolve and ensure its relevance in modern agriculture including the soon to be launched new seed certification project which will deliver lasting change for the next generation of seed growers and merchants.
“Our focus will be to continue the good work of previous executives and to play our part in domestic and global food security whilst providing value to our members throughout the agri-food value chain”.
Charlotte paid tribute to Michael Hales, who will continue to serve on the Association’s Executive Council.
