Sell-out dairy awards event predicted
The cream of the southern dairy crop will be announced at the 2019 Southland-Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
The awards dinner will be held at Richardson’s Transport World in Invercargill on Wednesday March 27 and organisers are predicting another sellout event.
The finalists in the Share Farmer of the Year are Cameron and Nicola Van Dorsten, of Outram; Paddy Bantham, of Otautau; Regan Crawford, of Tapanui; Noortje and Wilco Hamers, of Lumsden and Miguel Ortiz and Maka Morales of Mokotua.
The finalists in the Farm Manager of the Year are Bridget Bell, of Winton; James Matheson, of Gore; Elyse Fletcher, of Makarewa; Michael Pelesco, of Wyndham; and Matt Kerr of Outram.
The finalists in the Dairy Trainee of the Year are Nathan Bee, of Gore; Caycee Cormack, of Tapanui; Eilish Duthie, of Wyndham; Hayden Smith, of Seaward Downs, Kate Thomson, of Balfour; and Melanie MacKenzie of Wanaka.
The winners of each section will line up against 30 other Share Farmer, Dairy Manager and Dairy Trainee competition finalists to determine who will take home the national prizes, worth more than $210,000 along with the national honours.
General Manager Chris Keeping said strong support from the national sponsors has ensured the prize pool is fantastic.
‘‘There are some splendid prizes that will be taken home by our national winners – prizes that will set them up in their careers as well as providing them with some learning experiences.’’
This is the 30th year the competition has been held providing a learning opportunity for fairy farmers to progress their careers.
It was in Taranaki in 1975 that the concept of the Share Milker of the Year was born.
From those small beginnings, other regional events mushroomed and the national competition came to fruition in 1989.
Keeping said the effect of the Dairy Industry Awards on individuals could be life changing.
‘’The enthusiastic atmosphere, acknowledgement of achievement and raised awareness of possibilities has a lasting effect.’’
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards provide a learning and growth platform for young and emerging farmers as they progress their own careers.
‘’We provide an opportunity for entrants to learn about themselves and the industry, to connect with other like-minded people, and to grow their business, their career and themselves personally.’’
The Southland-Otago Dairy Industry Awards will be hosted by Robert Reid.
The winners of the Share Farmer of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year will progress to the national awards to be held in Wellington on Saturday May 11.
The winner of the premier award, the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, will take home prizes worth $50,000.
The total prize pool for the 2019 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year is valued at $120,000.
As well as the winner taking home prizes worth $50,000, the runner-up will receive $28,500 in prizes and the third place-getter will take home prizes valued at $19,800.
A further $22,000 in cash and prizes will be won by the winners of the nine merit awards.
‘‘There are some splendid prizes that will be taken home by our national winners – prizes that will set them up in their careers as well as providing them with some learning experiences.’’ Southland-Otago Dairy Industry Awards General Manager Chris Keeping.