Andrew McCornick, of Barnbackle, Lochfoot, Dumfries, on Tuesday became the 62nd president of the organisation.
And Gary Mitchell, from Wigtownshire, is one of two new vice presidents.
Mr McCornick, pictured above, was previously a vice president before scooping one of the top jobs in Scottish agriculture following a vote at the union’s meeting in Glasgow.
He beat sitting president Allan Bowie and fellow vice president Rob Livesey for the two year position.
Commenting on his success, he said: “Wow! There are difficult and challenging times ahead but I have been given a mandate by members to represent them – I see the membership as part of the team – and I am honoured to carry their message forward.
“It is a big operation to get our views on the importance of Scottish farming in to the highest places in government, so let’s get stuck in. We are on a mission to take this industry forward so let’s make it count.”
Mr McCornick is married with three sons and a daughter and farms a 230 ha unit with wife Janice. They have 160 suckler cows, 600 breeding ewes and a small herd of pedigree Charolais cattle.
For as long as he can remember, he has been a member of the Union, and got more involved when the consultation for Nithsdale NVZ came out. From there he went onto become vice chairman of the Dumfries branch, and then onto his previous role of regional board chairman for Dumfries and Galloway, becoming vice president in February 2015
Meanwhile, Mr Mitchell is from West Galdenoch. He operated an arable and beef enterprise until September 2007 when he switched to dairying, starting with 130 cows while converting the farm. He now currently milks 800, with all female young-stock over three months old reared off farm under contract. He farms 750 acres of which 450 acres are owned and 300 acres rented (half on a five-year tenancy). Around 150 acres are zero grazed; 375 acres are gown for silage and 225 acres are in winter wheat.
Gary was milk committee chairman from 2012-14 and has been regional chairman for Dumfries and Galloway since February 2014.
Martin Kennedy of Aberfeldy is the other vice president.
