increase font size
Just over 300 entries have so far been received in the 2013 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.
National convenor Chris Keeping is pleased with entry numbers and the level of interest in the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.
"We are past halfway in our entry target this year, which is great. I'm hoping for a rush of entries this week as our earlybird entry prize draw closes off on Friday," Keeping says.
Those that enter online before December 1 will go into an earlybird entry prize draw to win one of three Honda Duster XR125 farm bikes, each valued at $4000. One farm bike will be drawn from early entrants in each contest.
"It is a very practical and useful prize for three of our earlybird entrants"
Entries are being accepted online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz and close on December 20.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner AgITO.
Keeping says a total of 305 entries have been received to date, about the same number as this time last year. "We are tracking along about the same, so we are on target to hit around 500 entries all up."
She says the dairy trainee contest has received the most entries to date, with 141 entries. The farm manager contest has 91 entries and 73 entries have been received in the sharemilker/equity farmer contest.
Entrants first enter one of 12 regional competitions around the country, with the three regional winners each progressing to the national final where they will compete for $140,000 in cash and prizes.
"For the first time all our 2012 national winners came from the same region – Canterbury North Otago – and that may have helped to create added interest in the awards there, as the Canterbury North Otago region has received the most entries so far with 43."
The Waikato region follows in second place with 35 entries across the three contests, and Northland is third with 34 entries, just ahead of Taranaki on 33 entries to date.
Further information on the awards can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
North Canterbury pig farmer Steve Sterne has been honoured with NZ Pork's Outstanding Contribution Award, recognising his 27 years of dedication to excellence in the sector.
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.
Waikato's top share farmers of the year, Logan and Sian Dawson, are chuffed to see their kids so proud of their achievement.
This year's Kate Sheppard Memorial Award recipient will support research to ultimately help New Zealand farmers choose forages for best production and drought resistance.
Irish agritech company MagGrow has won the International Innovation Award at the 2020 Fieldays Innovations Competition.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: The war of words between Southland farmers and Environment Southland over winter grazing inspections reflects a deep lack of trust…
OPINION: Milking It understands a formal disciplinary process is being conducted by Victoria University of Wellington on what one of…
