Sheep industry finalists announced

About 300 people are expected to attend the awards dinner – which recognise top-performing New Zealand sheep breeders – on August 6 in Napier.

Five industry-related awards will be presented. In addition to the Sheep Industry Trainer of the Year, Individual or Business Making a Significant Contribution to the New Zealand Sheep Industry and the Sheep Industry Innovation Award, two new awards have been added. These are the Sheep Industry Science Award, recognising a project, business or person undertaking science that is having a positive impact on farming now, and the Sheep Industry Supplier Award, which recognises a farmer supplier nominated by processors for consistently meeting company specifications and other key performance indicators.

Alongside these awards are the highly anticipated genetics-related awards. These which are calculated based on breeders' performance in SIL-ACE (Advanced Central Evaluation) – the large-scale, across flock and breed genetic evaluation of about 300 ram breeding flocks.

Based purely on genetic merit, awards are presented to the top flocks in six categories: terminal, dual purpose, high performance, dual purpose plus meat, dual purpose plus worm FEC, and dual purpose plus facial eczema.

The 2014 finalists have just been announced. They are:

Blackdale sheep industry supplier of the year
• Dave & Kay Stanley (Rawiri Farm Trust)
• Mark & Rachel, Sam & Karl Zino (Zino Holdings Ltd)
• Horizon Farming Ltd
• Martina & Shaun Lawlor
• Bill & Sue Garland (Rahiri Farm)
• Landcorp Wairio (Grant McGhie, Manager)

Focus Genetics sheep industry science award
• Massey University
• Neville Jopson
• Paul Kenyon

PrimaryITO sheep industry trainer of the year
• Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre
• Waipaoa Station Training Trust
• Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm

Farmlands individual or business making a significant contribution to the New Zealand sheep industry
• Leon Black
• Steve Wyn-Harris
• Roger Marshall

Allflex sheep industry innovation award
• Matt & Lynley Wyeth
• Andy Ramsden
• AbacusBio Ltd

Alliance Group gold terminal sire award for lamb growth and meat yield
• Mount Linton Station, Mount Linton Suftex
• Focus Genetics, Kepler Supreme
• Kelso, Kelso Tutu Totara Ranger

Telford gold dual purpose award for reproduction, lamb growth plus adult size and wool production
• Twin Farm, Twin Farm TEFRom
• Nithdale Station, Nithdale Romney
• Blackdale Stud, Blackdale Coopworth

2014 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Sheep Industry Genetic Trait Awards – Finalists

SIL-ACE terminal sire for lamb growth
• A Clifton, Te Kawa Poll Dorset
• Mount Linton Station, Mount Linton Suftex
• Kelso, Kelso Tutu Totara Ranger

SIL-ACE terminal sire for meat yield
• Focus Genetics, Huirimu Supreme
• Focus Genetics, Kepler Supreme
• Focus Genetics, Waikite Texel

SIL-ACE dual purpose for reproduction
• Mount Guardian, Mount Guardian Perendale
• Edward Dinger, MNCC Coopworth
• Nithdale Station, Nithdale Romney

SIL-ACE dual purpose for growth (lamb growth & adult size)
• Blackdale Stud, Blackdale Coopworth
• Ashgrove, Ashgrove Coopworth
• Twin Farm, Twin Farm TEFRom

SIL-ACE dual purpose for internal parasite resistance
• Mike McElrea, Gowan Braes Perendale
• Nithdale Station, Nithdale Romney

SIL-ACE dual purpose for facial eczema tolerance
• Hinenui Genetics, Hinenui Coopworth
• Steve Wyn-Harris, Marlow Coopworth
• Focus Genetics, Waihora Romney

Primary Wool Cooperative dual purpose for wool
• Blackdale Stud, Blackdale Coopworth
• Edward Dinger, MNCC Coopworth
• Emily & Sam Welch & Kate Broadbent, Nikau Coopworth

Progressive Meat dual purpose for meat yield
• Newhaven Farms, Newhaven Perendale
• Mike McElrea, Gowan Braes Perendale
• Twin Farm, Twin Farm TEFRom