Friday, 02 May 2014 09:26

Final judging underway

Written by Sudesh Kissun

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

The final judging is underway to determine the winners in the 2014 New Zealand dairy award winners.

The winners will be announced at a sold-out black tie event attended by 650 people at Auckland's Sky City Hotel on May 9. About $170,000 in prizes are up for grabs 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.

Judging started on Monday (April 28) for the 11 sharemilker/equity farmer and 11 farm manager regional finalists. A team of three judges – a farmer, banker and farm adviser – spend two hours on each finalist's farm to critique the finalist and their farm business. The task takes the sharemilker/equity farmer judges from Winton, in Southland, to Whataroa, on the West Coast, and to Ohaewai, in Northland. The last of the regional finalists, the Auckland/Hauraki representatives, are judged on Tuesday (May 7).

The final judging component, an interview, takes place in Auckland on Thursday May 8.

"It's a pretty rigorous schedule for the judges, as they travel thousands of kilometres and traverse a variety of properties and meet a range of passionate and ambitious dairy farmers at varying stages of their dairy farming careers," national convenor Chris Keeping says.

"What the judging process does do is identify some great and innovative practices that are taking place on farms across the country, as well as tap into the enthusiasm the finalists have for their farm business and for the dairy industry."

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1 and Triplejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO.

Information on all the finalists can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

More like this

PGG Wrightson Revenue Tops $1.1b as Profit Jumps 46%

After delivering a strong financial year, rural trader PGG Wrightson says the coming months will depend on customer confidence and weather.

Fonterra Opens Upgraded Chengdu Application Centre

Fonterra has opened its upgraded Chengdu Application Centre, bringing New Zealand dairy expertise closer to customers in one of China's fastest-growing regions.

Stephen Allen to Step Down as Tatua Chair After 23 Years

Tatua chair Stephen Allen says he leaves the co-op with a deep sense of gratitude for the people who have contributed to its success.

Ravensdown Returns to Profit, Approves $15/Tonne Shareholder Rebate

Ravensdown has reported a net profit before tax and rebate of $50.1 million for the year ended 31 May 2026.

Open Country opens butter plant

When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.

Featured

Editorial: The Value of Credibility

OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.

DairyBase and MINDA Link Up to Cut Farmer Paperwork

Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.

Kaikōura Families Get School Run Lifeline After Storm

Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.

Rural NZ Welcomes $8.5m Government Health Package

Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.

Massey Adds New Majors in Agritech, Animal Science

Interest in agritech and production animal systems has prompted Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment to new majors to its popular animal science degree.