Paul Larmer, chief executive of Semex Alliance, is the new
president and chairman of the board of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
He takes over from John M. Dunlap, Jr.
The Royal started in 1922 and was once the
undisputed championship place to compete for top honours for a broad range of
agricultural products, including beef and dairy cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry
and crops.
It also became the nation’s leading horse show
and competition.
While other venues have gained prominence in beef
competitions, The Royal is still Canada’s premier show for dairy cattle,
drawing visitors from around the world, and its horse show draws an entirely different crowd, mainly from the ranks of Toronto's wealthy business and society leaders.
Larmer has spent a lifetime in dairy genetics,
starting on the dairy farm where he was born and raised. He headed Gencor before being chosen for the top job at Semex Alliance.
He begins his two-year term while the Royal is
undergoing a three-year rejuvenation process.
