Southern farmers honoured at awards
TWO southern farming leaders were acknowledged at Federated Farmers’ annual awards function in Wellington this week.
Southland Federated Farmers meat and wool chairwoman Bernadette Hunt received the emerging advocate award.
The award celebrated an ‘‘upandcoming’’ member who championed the needs of fellow farmers and was a positive role model for other young farmers with clear goals for the future, a statement from Federated Farmers said.
Mrs Hunt, who farms at Chatton, near Gore, with her husband Alistair, was nominated because of her ‘‘outstanding contribution’’ in the lead role for Southland during the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak.
Mr and Mrs Hunt were involved firsthand with the disease, hav ing received animals from an infected property, which then tested negative and their property was cleared.
She had implored the rural community to get behind people and the farming sector to be united in the fight against the disease.
Mrs Hunt also liaised with the Ministry for Primary Industries over declaring a medium scale adverse event due to the dry conditions.
Five Forks dairy farmer Lyndon Strang, who recently stepped down as dairy chairman of North Otago Federated Farmers, received the farming message award.
It was for an individual who had done a ‘‘fantastic’’ job shear ing the importance of agriculture with New Zealand’s wider communities.
The main reason for his nomination was the way he ‘‘led by example’’ in his area when it came to implementing new farming practices.
It was also for being an approachable voice for local media when the M. bovis outbreak was first announced in the Waimate district in July last year, and helping break down the ‘‘technical gobbledygook’’ surrounding the disease for the public, the statement said.
Bob Douglas, from Timaru, who has been South Canterbury’s provincial secretary and treasurer for nearly 20 years, won the provincial service award.