Final judging underway

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.