Justine Kidd, formerly CEO of the BEL Group and Chair of the Dairy Women's Network, has a new role with the Shanghai Pengxin's subsidiary Milk New Zealand.

She has been appointed CEO Agribusiness responsible for the 16 Central North Island farms owned by The Land Tahi Farm Group and 13 South Island farms owned by Purata Farming Ltd.

Making the announcement, Milk New Zealand managing director Terry Lee says Justine has been a director of the board of Pengxin NZ Farm Management Ltd, the joint venture with Landcorp, since 2013 and brings a comprehensive suite of skills to her new position.

Justine says this appointment reflects her passion for creating value for farming business through innovative connections and partnership from the farm to the customer.

'The Milk New Zealand business has demonstrated a true partnership approach to their business model, they have invested heavily in developing their on-farm assets – people, land and livestock – and I am looking forward to growing and nurturing the opportunity of working with a farm-to-customer focused business and a great team of talented people,” she says.

Justine, who won the 2013 the Dairy Woman of the Year award, took up her new CEO position in November.

Shanghai Pengxin Group Company Limited is privately owned with interests in real estate development, urban infrastructure construction, high-tech investment and investment in industry and commerce around the world.

The company diversified its portfolio to include agribusiness in New Zealand in 2011 when it established and registered in Milk New Zealand.

In the Central North Island, its 16 properties consist of 13 dairy and three dairy support farms in various locations between Hamilton and Bulls. The dairy farms' herd size range between 347 and 2,364 dairy cows. The current annual production is at 4.6million kgMS.

Until 2009, these farms were owned by the Crafar family as New Zealand's largest family owned dairy business with a total of 22 dairy and dairy support farms. The business was put into receivership in October 2009.

Milk New Zealand purchased 16 farms of the 22 for sale, when after two years of controversy over the land ownership, the Overseas Investment Office finally approved the purchase in April 2012.

A 50:50 joint venture was incorporated with Landcorp Farming Limited forming Pengxin New Zealand Farm Management Limited and Landcorp was engaged as 100 per cent sharemilker, developing and managing the farms.

The board of PNZFML is made up of seven directors – three representing Shanghai Pengxin, three representing Landcorp and one independent chair.

Theland Tahi Farm Group, for which Justine is now CEO, is the dairy brand for Dakang, an international and integrated food business that sources products from around the world for supermarkets in Asia.

Purata Farms, is a Canterbury corporate founded as Synlait Farms. Shanghai Pengxin bought just under 74 per cent of the corporate farm's group early in 2014 through New Zealand Standard Farms.

Purata owns 13 Purata dairy farms and 13,000 cows and is one of the largest dairy farm operations in New Zealand covering a total of 4390 hectares.