Dairy awards finals heading to Queenstown
The 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) national champions will be crowned in Queenstown in May next year.
Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Manager of the Year winner Stephen Overend needed a little pushing to enter the Dairy Industry Awards.
The first-time entrant was encouraged to enter the Awards by previous entrants.
“My wife pushed me along as this is something that is very much out of my comfort zone.”
He ended up winning the title, $7,125 in prizes plus three merit awards: he is farm manager on Theland Farm Group’s 266ha, 930-cow property at Hororata.
Overend (36) is currently studying towards a diploma in financial planning agribusiness management and holds PrimaryITO Level 3 and 4 in team management and effluent management.
He entered the dairy industry five and a half years ago and has worked for the past two and a half years as a manager.
Overend has learnt to deal with the challenge of stress through good nutrition and exercise. He’s proud that he has a low staff turnover rate and is thankful for the strong support from experienced and knowledgeable operations and technology teams.
Hilton farm manager Salem Christian, 22, was second in the Dairy Manager category, winning $2,250 in prizes and two merit awards. He was the 2018 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year.
He currently works for Brian and Ingrid Bolt on their 240ha property, milking 900 cows, Salem counts winning 2018 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year as one of his biggest successes.
Christian enjoys working outside with cattle and is making the most of the progression opportunities the dairy industry presents.
Hororata farm manager Tessa Goes placed third and won $2,000 in prizes and two merit awards. Goes works on the Theland Purata Farmgroup 173ha, 590-cow property.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.