Thursday, 15 June 2023 09:55

Awards help entrants prosper

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Jaspal Singh and his brother and farm employee Gurpal Singh discuss pasture cover on the farm. Jaspal Singh and his brother and farm employee Gurpal Singh discuss pasture cover on the farm.

At the 2023 NZ Dairy Industry Awards, Jaspal Singh thanked organisers for helping farmers like him prosper.

He said winning the dairy manager of the year title gave him a chance to learn, grow, and excel.

"It has increased my confidence level and my capability to give my best back to the dairy industry.

"I want to say to the entrants out there in the audience, I can see myself in you guys when I started two years ago, when I first entered the awards to challenge myself and see where I was as a dairy farmer.

"The NZDIA were like a mirror for me. I was able to see my weaknesses and my strengths. I worked hard on those things, and you can see now where I am. Wherever you end up in the placings, keep taking the opportunities to enter again and use the valuable feedback to work on.

"I want to say a huge thank you, to the NZDIA and all the people behind it for creating these platforms to encourage people like me to get out of their comfort zone and think outside the box, and to give back to the industry. Thanks to sponsors and industry partners as well. I hope you guys will keep supporting NZDIA and support our future industry leaders."

Singh said the recognition he got after winning the award was amazing.

"Me and my wife Ruby were overwhelmed with the media interviews, new job opportunities and greetings, not only from New Zealand, but from my home country and over the world as well.

"I would say our dairy industry is going through a lot of challenges which are not limited to environmental issues, staff shortages, rising inflation cost, and fluctuating milk prices. But we farmers face challenges every day, learn from them and get ready for new challenges. Hopefully, people outside the dairy industry understand these factors and value us farmers for what we do."

More like this

Sharemilkers Credit DairyBase Tool for Staffing Decisions

Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.

Langfords crowned Share Farmers of the Year

As the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards night unfolded, it became evident that Waikato’s Thomas and Fiona Langford were the frontrunners for the biggest prize of the night – the 2025 Share Farmers of the Year award.

Dairy awards

OPINION: Results of regional New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) are trickling in but there's a worrying trend emerging.

Featured

Peter Reynolds Awarded Horticulture NZ's Bledisloe Cup

Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.

Sharemilkers Credit DairyBase Tool for Staffing Decisions

Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Irish Dilemma

OPINION: The Irish dairy sector is facing a new dilemma - maintaining year-round fresh milk supplies.

Beef Cows To The Rescue

OPINION: Could beef cows play an increasingly important role in improving profitability and resilience on hill country farms?

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter