Manager Breaks Tradition In Dairy Awards

For Immediate Release
30 September 2009

Manager Breaks Tradition In Dairy Awards

A farm manager is convening a regional competition in the 2010 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards for the first time, a role traditionally held by sharemilkers.

Shane Kelly is convening the West Coast Top of the South region in the awards, running the Sharemilker of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.

Mr Kelly won the 2009 New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year title after winning the West Coast Top of the South contest. The 2009 Canterbury North Otago Farm Manager of the Year, Matt Ward, is also a convenor in the competition although he is now a dairy farm owner.

“Both are obviously very talented and capable dairy farmers and managers, so we’re confident they’ll do a great job in their respective regions,” National Convenor Chris Keeping says.

“We have traditionally had winning sharemilkers volunteer for the convenors role, as we want to encourage as many people as possible to enter the competitions.

“We’re structuring Shane’s region so that if his dairy career progressed to sharemilking or equity management then he will still be eligible to enter the sharemilker competition at a later stage, if he chooses to.

“It’s important that the role he plays now doesn’t preclude him from participation at a later stage – that is why sharemilkers have traditionally held these roles.”

Ms Keeping says the 12 regional convenors, the awards’ management committee and sponsors are attending a conference in Rotorua next week to finalise plans for the 2010 competition.

“It’s a great opportunity to get to know each other better, canvass ideas and to share information on how best to run the regional competitions.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are run in 12 regions, with the winners from each region progressing to a national final. In 2010 the national final will be held in Rotorua in May.

The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

Entries open on November 1 and will close on December 24. Further information can be obtained by visiting www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

The 2010 regional convenors are:
• Northland – Dean & Tania Mischeski
• Auckland Hauraki – Ciaran & Sarah Tully
• Waikato – Brock & Janine Fiske
• Bay of Plenty – John & Kim Wakefield
• Central Plateau – Bryan & Tesha Gibson
• Taranaki – Paul Davidson & Lorette Astwood-Davidson
• Manawatu Rangitikei Horowhenua – Stefan & Hester Bryan
• Hawkes Bay Wairarapa – Ben & Nicky Allomes
• West Coast Top of the South – Shane & Karyn Kelly
• Canterbury North Otago – Matt Ward & Amanda Wyatt
• Otago – Mark & Kylie Watt
• Southland – Stacey & Olivia Frost

ends

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