Dairy farmer profits to hit record levels in 2025
The profitability of dairy farmers is likely to increase in the coming year, accordign to the latest report by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on the outlook for the primary sector.
The 2015 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards is in full swing, with judging underway and the first regional winners due to be announced next week.
National convenor Chris Keeping says March is always a highlight in the awards calendar, as 33 winners from 11 regional competitions are announced.
"Our teams of judges have an interesting time as they meet our entrants and learn where their strengths and skills lie, as well as gain a sense of their enthusiasm for the industry and their future within it."
The first regional winners 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 will be named in Rotorua on March 2, while entrants in the Southland/Otago region are being judged and will be the last to learn their fate on March 28.
Waikato judge and Te Awamutu dairy farmer Jenny Sinclair says an aspect that emerged while judging a group of this year's sharemilker/equity farmer entrants was that all had different starts in the industry.
"There are no prerequisites for entering the dairy industry."
Sinclair says some of the entrants had obtained University qualifications, others had switched careers to dairying and some were training on the job.
"One of the fantastic things about our industry is there's so much information sharing. Most entrants were young and demonstrated that there are considerable opportunities to get ahead in the industry."
She says traditional 50% sharemilking positions are reducing in number although other opportunities are available.
"One of the big reasons for entering is to get your name out there and to get at the top of the list if there's a competitive job market."
Central Plateau judge and Waikato dairy farmer Dave Davis says there was a large variation in the aspirations of those he judged in the farm manager competition.
"There're people that are motivated to progress up the ladder fast and to go through to farm ownership, but there're also people that are happy with what they are doing and to make a career out of it," Davis says. "There was quite a variation as to what they wanted to get out of dairy farming.
"The one constant was that they all enjoy it and are passionate about it."
The Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, New Zealand Farm Source, Ravensdown, and Triplejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO.
Tickets to most regional awards dinners are still available and can be purchased online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.