The New Zealand Beef Shorthorn Association has elected as its new president Anita Erskine, from Westwood Farm, Tuatapere, Southland.
With her two brothers, Quinton and Eric, Erskine farms 120 Beef Shorthorn breeding cows and replacements together with 2550 Romney ewes and replacements on 455 hectares.
Family ownership of one block of the farm dates back to 1885.
Erskine is the second woman to be elected to the office. In 2010-12 Judy Austin was breed president. She and her husband Bill of Rolleston are life members of the association and now run Austins scanning service.
Eskine takes over from Russell Profitt, of Mahoenui, who had six years as president and remains on the council.
Profitt was instrumental in establishing the Shorthorn progeny trial now being run on his brother Bevan’s farm near Whanganui, visited by the association’s field trip after the recent annual general meeting.
The first offspring of this trial have been weaned and are now at Russell’s farm for finishing, as interested farmers await the second crop of calves this coming spring.
“It is hoped that the trial will back up the research from overseas, therefore helping the association members sell more bulls, and in the long run will benefit the Shorthorn Association as more farmers go back to using Shorthorn genetics in their breeding programmes,” Erskine said.
