Organic dairying - a natural fit for Māori
Driving down Broadlands Road, northeast of Taupo there's a cluster of 19 Pāmu dairy farms around what is known as the Wairakei Estate.
The Taupo-based joint venture between Pamu (Landcorp) and SLC Group is one of the eight finalists in the Best Emerging Business category.
Spring Sheep is also in the running for the Excellence in Innovation award, Inspiring Preference for NZ award and the Inspiring Women Leaders award, where its innovation and marketing director Andrea Wilkins is one of the seven finalists.
It has also won several food innovation awards since its inception three years ago.
The awards, organised by NZ Trade and Enterprise, will be handed out at a gala dinner in Auckland on November 8.
NZTE says Spring Sheep Milk is in the business of advanced nutrition, creating a market-driven, end-to-end value chain for sheep milk to expand into a significant new primary industry for New Zealand.
“The company makes delicious and nutritious New Zealand-made products from its flock of grass-fed sheep.”
Founded in 2015 this unique public-private partnership combinesthe best farming know-how and resources with branding and in-market expertise, it says.
Spring Sheep’s main markets are Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, and its international revenue has grown by 88% over the past three years.
The company has 15 full-time staff as well as part-time seasonal farm workers based in New Zealand. It has worked with more than 50 local New Zealand suppliers, including farmers, advisors, researchers, scientists, manufacturers, designers and agencies, across all areas of its business.
