The motion of no confidence was defeated by 161 votes to 43.
The total votes cast represented around 56 per cent of the total voting strength (365) of the society’s agricultural department.Expressing his pleasure with the way the meeting went, Mr Frigot said: ‘The membership was very supportive, and I am particularly grateful that so many of the members came to the meeting.
It was most encouraging to see our society’s Members’ Room filled with farmers and members of the agricultural department.
‘It was a rousing meeting, and a good conclusion – as far as I was concerned, of course – but a conclusion that the majority of members also wanted.’He added that after the meeting, when he talked to members, there seemed to be no antagonism being expressed between members who had voted different ways.
‘I feel the society can move on now together,’ he said, ‘and the issue which caused the extraordinary general meeting is now dead and buried.’The meeting had been called because of Mr Frigot’s support for importing bull semen from top Jersey herds outside the Island.
This issue had been the subject of a vote in October, and members rejected the proposals for import in favour of keeping the Island herd ‘closed’ as it has been since the 18th century.
It was felt afterwards by some members that Mr Frigot’s position as president had become untenable as a result for his declared support for importation, and also because of remarks made and quoted in a JEP interview.Around 100 members attended the meeting itself, filling the Members Room.
The other votes making up the total cast were from members who voted during the evening, but did not stay for the meeting.
