The season for awards - yawn!!
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.
ENTRIES IN THE 2014 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are running neck-and-neck with last year.
National convenor Chris Keeping says 251 entries have been received in the Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions compared with 248 entries at the same time last year.
"We're about three weeks in and it is amazing how close the numbers are – it definitely indicates we are on target to reach or even better last year's record 566 entry numbers."
Keeping says people have about one week left to enter and be eligible for the Early Bird Entry Prize Draw of three Honda XR125 Duster farm bikes, each valued at $4000. One bike will be drawn from those that enter early (before December 1) in each competition.
All entries are being accepted online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz and close on December 20.
The Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1, Triplejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO (formerly AgITO).
Of the entries received to date, the dairy trainee contest is proving the most popular with 132 entries received. The farm manager contest has received 78 entries and the sharemilker/equity farmer contest has 41 entries.
"Obviously we'd like to see some more entries in the prestigious sharemilker/equity farmer contest which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014. We recognise there is much more work to do to enter the sharemilker contest than the trainee contest, but know the benefits to all who enter make it worth the while."
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait is showing no sign of bouncing back from its financial doldrums.
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.