Entries open for 2026 NZ Dairy Industry Awards
Entries are open for the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA).
 Greg Campbell (pictured), Ravensdown chief executive, says the awards play a vital role to boost the industry's spirits.
		  	
		  
		  		  
		  Greg Campbell (pictured), Ravensdown chief executive, says the awards play a vital role to boost the industry's spirits.
		  
		  
		  
	  Thirty three of the nation's top dairy farmers will be heading to Wellington to vie for the three top titles.
The titles are New Zealand's Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year for 2016.
With the prestigious New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in its 10th year, Greg Campbell, Ravensdown chief executive, says the awards play a vital role to boost the industry's spirits.
"The awards shine a light on the positives of the industry and showcase some of the outstanding leaders within. With the industry facing some extremely tough times they provide a welcome opportunity to celebrate the good things," he says..
The Share Farmer and Dairy Manager finalists collectively represent over 4200 hectares of the 1.8 million hectares of land used by New Zealand's dairy farmers, and they farm over 11,600 of New Zealand's five million dairy cattle.
"These finalists are the elite of the elite. There are only 33 who made the finals out of the 542 who entered and they deserve a huge congratulations from us all. Not only for making it this far but for entering in a year where it would probably have been easier to put your head down and just try and survive," says Campbell.
Campbell went on to say part of the benefits of the awards is the learning opportunities for entrants both from each other, the judges, previous entrants, as well as sponsors.
"We are proud to sponsor the awards and our agri managers love talking pasture with entrants. We're particularly thrilled to see four of the 11 Ravensdown Pasture Performance winners going through to the finals who will have a good chance of taking out the $2000 prize."
Pasture plays a big part in New Zealand's dairy farm system, something Campbell says is becoming an exact science.
"It's one of our points of difference, we're always looking to make pasture growth as precise as we can, be it with our pasture measuring technology through C-Dax, our Smart Maps system or our soil testing laboratory ARL."
The NZ Dairy Awards take place Saturday at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
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