Outlook for dairy strong – ag trade envoy
New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr believes the outlook for the dairy sector remains strong.
Two women with generations of farming experience behind them are finalists in the 2018 Dairy Community Leadership Awards.
They are dairy farmers Kylie Leonard, from Reporoa in the Central Plateau, and Lorraine Stephenson, from Dannevirke in Manawatu.
The Dairy Community Leadership Awards are a Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) initiative recognising the unsung heroes of rural communities. This year’s award will be presented at an awards ceremony during the Network’s conference in Rotorua, 22-23 March.
Sponsored by ASB and Tompkins Wake, the award recognises the voluntary role dairy farming women have in leading their communities and sharing their time and skills beyond the farm gate.
DWN chief executive Zelda de Villiers says both finalists embody the community-centric values and a willingness to go the hard yards that can often go unrecognised.
“Kylie and Lorraine are those people you can leave a task to and know they’ll get on with it and that it will make a difference to those around them,” says de Villiers.
“They both volunteer an extraordinary amount of time in their communities and place a lot of value on their network and relationships, which is essential for any rural community.
“We’re proud to announce them as finalists for the Dairy Community Leadership Award.”
The recipient of the award is chosen by a panel comprising representatives from DWN, ASB and Tompkins Wake and the recipient will receive a scholarship prize to attend a leadership programme in New Zealand.
Last year’s Dairy Community Leadership Award winner was Southland dairy farmer Katrina Thomas.
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
A leading financial and banking advisor says he doubts if most dairy farmers fully understand the dynamics of banking.
Dairy farmers are shoring up their balance sheets, with almost $1.7 billion of debt repaid in the six months to March 2025.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
A former Fonterra executive is the new chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
New Federated Farmers national dairy chair Karl Dean is looking forward to tackling the issues facing the sector.