Tony Dodunski Wins Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award
Milking cows in the environmentally sensitive Lake Ellesemere/Te Waihora catchment in Canterbury has kept Tony Dodunski on his toes.
One of New Zealand dairy awards' key national sponsors, Westpac is pulling out this month.
A NZ Sairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) statement says Westpac NZ has decided to not continue as a national sponsor after a 10-year association. NZDIA general manager Robin Congdon says Westpac NZ leaving is a bit like losing a family member.
"The NZDIA is a family of volunteers and sponsors with a deep, connected history," he said.
"Westpac have worked closely on regional committees as treasurers or judges, and are part of the National judging teams, which has created long-lasting deep relationships with the rising stars of the dairy industry.
"We would like to sincerely thank Westpac for their dedication and support over the years and will be sad to see them go at the end of June."
Westpac NZ sponsorship lead Todd Johnstone thanked the Awards organisers for their 15 years of support and wished them all the best for the future.
"New Zealand has the best dairy farmers in the world. These awards play an important role in showcasing the hard graft, leadership and innovation of those farmers and we're proud to have played a part in their ongoing success," Johnstone said.
"We're always looking for ways to support rural communities and will continue our strong presence through our sponsorship of the rescue helicopters and the NZ Rural Games."
The Awards are comprised of 11 regional programmes which consist of several regional events and two rounds of judging, each culminating in a regional awards dinner. Winners from each region then go on to the National Awards.
Zespri's sales of kiwifruit for the 2025 season have broken all past records.
Trainee orchard manager Luke St John has won the Central Otago 2026 Young Grower regional title.
James Blair, an agronomist for AS Wilcox, has won the 2026 Pukekohe Young Grower regional title.
Fifty-eight selected individuals, companies, and start-ups will exhibit their ideas and cutting-edge solutions at the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards, with Amazon Web Services (AWS), who joins the programme in 2026 as overall sponsor.
A rare piece of New Zealand adventure history will be on display at this year’s Fieldays, with a pair of socks worn by the late Sir Edmund Hillary to take pride of place at the Norsewear site this June.
This month's National Fieldays will again display a strong international flavour, with more exhibitors and overseas delegations in attendance.