Sheep & beef farmer Bruce Wills has been elected as the new president of Federated Farmers, a rural lobby group that has 27,000 members.

Bruce Wills, who became the Federated Farmers President after edging out three other candidates, said he would be less confrontational than the previous leaders as he would adopt a more collaborative approach.

Mr. Wills, who has just finished a three-year-term as the chairman of meat & fiber section, said that agriculture is an important part of the economy and it has a bigger role to play than just being a part of the rural community.

Speaking on the topic, Mr. Wills said, “We’ve got to embrace the urban community. We’re small in number but large in significance.”

Congratulating the new President on his selection, the Environmental Defence Society’s Chairman Gary Taylor said that his frank comments on the need to connect the urban community with the rural would bridge the gap between town and country.

Mr. Wills has succeeded Southland sheep farmer Don Nicolson, who was elected to the post unopposed, and retired at the lobby group’s annual meeting in Rotorua yesterday.

Federated Farmers’ outgoing Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier has been named as the agri-business person of the year.