Industry stalwart Ian McIntosh honoured for decades of service

Media Release

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30 July 2026

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Pig industry stalwart Ian McIntosh has received NZPork’s Outstanding Contribution Award, recognising more than three decades of practical leadership, technical expertise and support for farmers across New Zealand.

Mr McIntosh began his career in the animal-feed sector with NRM before joining pig-breeding company PIC New Zealand in the early 1990s. He initially worked at PIC’s Springfield farm near Katikati in the Bay of Plenty, then moved to the South Island in 1997 to manage pig production across the company’s five New Zealand farms.

In that national role, he trained staff, advised farmers using PIC breeding stock and promoted farming decisions grounded in science, financial analysis, stockmanship, and practical experience.

He joined pork processor Freshpork in 2003, advising both its own farming operations at Burnham and independent pig farmers supplying Freshpork. His expertise also helped turn Freshpork’s small in-house feed mill into a commercial business supplying about 600 tonnes of animal feed each week to approximately 25 farms.

Farmers relied on him for practical advice on pig health and production, farm budgets, environmental and land-use consents, and other challenges affecting their businesses.

His influence extended beyond individual farms. He provided input to the Code of Welfare for pigs issued in 2005, every subsequent iteration of the code and later contributed to the farm-assessment measures used in PigCare, New Zealand’s on-farm pig welfare certification programme.

He also represented NZPork in developing a national good-practice code for animal-feed manufacturing. That work helped lay the foundation for Feed Safe NZ, an independent certification scheme for the safety and quality of animal feed made in New Zealand.

Mr McIntosh also helped produce practical guidance for farmers who make their own pig feed and advised government and industry organisations on feed safety and imported ingredients.

NZPork chief executive Brent Kleiss said Mr McIntosh’s influence could be seen across animal welfare, feed quality, farm performance and industry advocacy.

“Ian has made a big difference to New Zealand’s pig industry over decades. He combines significant technical knowledge with a rare ability to explain complex issues simply, and he has always been generous with his time and advice.

“He is thorough, passionate and hard-working, but what people remember most is his willingness to help and the good humour he brings with him. He is a great friend and colleague to many in the industry.”

Mr McIntosh received the award at NZPork’s annual conference in Christchurch on 28 July.

At the same event, Ben Carter of Kevmarc Farms in North Otago and Gary Thomas of Rawhiti in Waikato, were named joint winners of the Stockperson of the Year award.