Green but not much grass!
Dairy farmers in the lower North Island are working on protecting next season, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre, who farms just north of the Horowhenua township of Levin.
“There’s a danger that with all the focus on costs and challenges our growers are grappling with, we lose sight of our significant success and all the hard mahi that underpins a sector that returns more than $1 billion in farm gate sales,” says Federated Farmers arable chair Colin Hurst.
Hurst says the awards will be a chance for celebration and fun.
“We’re calling for nominations of deserving people and organisations now,” he says.
New Zealand’s arable sector is notching signification production gains, with 2.3 million tonnes of product sold in 2021 (a 31% increase since 2018), and within that seed production of 81,000 tonnes (a 41% increase since 2018).
While each of the organisations have awards stretching back many years, the 2023 event is only the second time Federated Farmers, the Foundation for Arable Research, United Wheat Growers and the NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association have combined to honour industry stalwarts and rising stars.
At last year’s awards, nine were presented. This year there will be 12 awards up for grabs as the line-up expands to recognise scientists, researchers, and employers.
“The arable sector provides full-time employment for more than 11,300 New Zealanders,” says Hurst. “The new Arable Employer of the Year Award will recognise someone who has demonstrated exemplary employment practices, promoted positive workplace culture, employment retention and/or a progressive career pathway in the industry.”
The other two new awards are the Arable Researcher of the Year and the Plant Breeder/Plant Researcher Award.
"We haven’t secured our place in the world as a leader in seed production - 60% of the world’s radish seed, 50% of white clover seed and 40% of global carrot seed, for example - as well as underpinning our pastoral farmers with maize, feed and grass seed, without cutting edge research and development," Hurst says.
Other awards cover growers of the year, innovation, emerging talent, agronomy, environment and sustainability and the Arable Food Champion.
Full details of the 2023 New Zealand Arable Awards, including how to make nominations, are at www.arableawards.co.nz
