increase font size
Arable Farmer of the Year Simon Nitschke with Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford. Photo Credit: Paul Petch.
Marton farmer Simon Nitschke has been named the 2024 Arable Farmer of the Year.
Nitschke, who grows up to 200ha of maize grain, and 100ha each of wheat and barley, achieves consistently high crop yields and willingly shares his agronomic experience with other growers, according to the judges.
The Manawatu farmer was also presented with the Maize Farmer of the Year Award as the industry celebrated its achievers and innovators at the Arable Industry Awards in Christchurch last night.
Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett said he was hugely impressed by the calibre and commitment of this year’s winners of awards in seven categories.
"Arable is a sector that tends to fly under the radar a bit in New Zealand, but it punches above its weight.
"Our growers are pivotal to domestic food staples, seed export markets and supplying the grass seed and animal grain that the bigger dairy, meat and wool sectors rely on.
"In what’s been a tough season, the resilience and innovation of our growers has shone through," Birkett says.
The awards judging panel said Nitschke’s yields are "extremely high by industry standards" thanks to careful cultivar selection, effective management of soil fertility and optimised use of resources.
His Arable Solutions business has invested in state-of-the-art grain-drying facilities and offers a package of contracting services.
Nitschke’s industry and community credentials include involvement in the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) Arable Research Group and the Growers Leading Change programme.
"He can be described as an ‘all-rounder’ and a very worthy winner of the Arable Farmer of the Year Award," judges said.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.
