IFA leadership elections come at a heavy price
The recent structural reform of the Association introduced important voting changes. But it did nothing to reduce the time, energy and cost demands on those who aspire to leadership.
As a result, IFA runs the risk of losing superb candidates for the job, because they will not enter election contests in which candidates must be prepared to spend enormous amounts of money.
Extensive travel, mountains of colourful election literature, media advertising, and expensive public relations companies have featured in recent IFA elections, at high cost to candidates themselves, in addition to funding raised by their teams.
Engaging the services of professional PR companies has been ruled out this year, but the campaign will be no less demanding.
Every farmer will get to know the IFA candidates over the next four months. Unfortunately, they will not hear at all of the potentially excellent leaders, lost to IFA because they cannot afford to take part in the existing IFA election process.
