NFU Scotland’s (NFUS) six presidential nominees will take to the road later this month for a series of hustings events.
The union is hosting 10 events across the country, including five in the north and north-east, to give members the opportunity to hear from all candidates ahead of the elections next month.
Current president Allan Bowie, who farms in Fife and Stirlingshire, is being challenged for the role by his two vice-presidents.
The vice-presidents – Andrew McCornick, who farms in Dumfriesshire, and Borders farmer Rob Livesey – are only standing for the top job and have not put their names forward for another term as vice-president.
There are also three names in the hat for the two vice-presidential jobs.
They are: Forth and Clyde regional chairman Tom French, who runs a mixed enterprise near Biggar; less favoured areas committee chairman Martin Kennedy, who runs a beef and sheep farm near Aberfeldy; and Dumfries regional chairman Gary Mitchell, who runs an 800-cow dairy unit near Stranraer.
NFUS chief executive, Scott Walker, said: “These are exciting times for all involved in our industry and I urge all members to take the opportunity to hear from our candidates as they travel round the country.
“The decision the membership must make is who should lead this union for the next 24 months as we negotiate some of the most challenging times faced by the union in its 104-year history.”
He said members of the union’s council, which is made up of representatives from each of the union’s 73 branches, would select the successful candidates at the annual general meeting on Tuesday February 7. The representatives are expected to hold regional meetings ahead of the election to ascertain who members want them to vote for.
In the election of president, if any of the three candidates obtains more than 50% of the votes in the first round they will be declared president. Union rules also state that the current president must withdraw from the election if he does not gain more than 50% of the votes in the first vote.
In the vice-presidential election there will be one round of voting and the two candidates with the most amount of votes will be elected.
Local hustings events include one for the Highland region on Wednesday January 11 at 7pm at Dingwall Auction Mart.
The Argyll and Islands region event takes place at 11am on Friday January 13 at Stonefield Castle, Tarbert.
The north-east regional event will take place on Wendesday January 18 at the Porterhouse Restaurant at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, at 7pm.
Orkney members are invited to attend a meeting on Thursday January 19 at the Ayre Hotel at 7.30pm, while the final meeting takes place at the Shetland Hotel in Shetland on Friday January 20 at 7.30pm.