Te Mana Lamb wins award
Premium lamb brand Te Mana Lamb took out the New Zealand Food Safety Primary Sector Products and Frozen categories at the New Zealand Food Awards.
Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew presented the Supreme Award for the 2016 NZ Food Awards in Auckland this week and is congratulating all of the category winners for their achievements.
“I would like to congratulate Coastal Spring Lamb and Coastal Lamb for winning the Massey University Supreme Award. They are an excellent example of an innovative and successful New Zealand company, which is now exporting to the world,” Goodhew says.
Coastal Spring Lamb and Coastal Lamb also won the NZTE Export Innovation Award, and the Chilled/Short Shelf Life Award.
“The awards celebrate the best of what the New Zealand food industry offers to New Zealand and our global customers.
“Given the importance of the food and beverage sector to the New Zealand economy, with its contribution of $29 billion a year, it is important that New Zealand continues to be seen as a trusted supplier of safe and suitable food around the world.
“These Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of everyone involved in the business of food towards making this a reality. I congratulate all of the companies who have been recognised for excellence in their categories,” says Goodhew.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Martyn Dunne, presented two awards sponsored by MPI - the Primary Sector Products Award and the Food Safety Culture Award.
“This is the first year MPI has sponsored the food safety culture award and the winner of the 2016 award, Open Country Dairy, demonstrates the importance of having a business culture to ensure food safety never takes second place. This culture needs to be prevalent up and down the supply chain, for all food and Open Country Dairy has lead the way.
“The winner of the Primary Sector Products Award was Spring Sheep Milk Company. They have been rewarded for their innovation, forward thinking and creativity in developing and delivering successful new products to market,” Goodhew says.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.

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