New Crop Of PINZ Award Finalists Named

A Southlander who created edible bale netting and rural heroes who made their mark advocating for pragmatic regulation and supporting stressed-out farmers feature among PINZ 2025 finalists.

The seventh annual Primary Industries NZ Awards are a highlight of the two-day PINZ Summit taking place at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre 24 and 25 June.

"With tariff tit-for-tat sparking disruption and uncertainty in export markets, more than ever New Zealand needs the primary sector to be innovative and enterprising," Federated Farmers Chief Executive Terry Copeland says.

"The PINZ Awards celebrate our primary industry movers and shakers - the science and food production teams delivering a market edge for our exported goods, the leaders who go the extra mile.

"Their efforts inspire others and lift the employment prospects and standard of living for fellow Kiwis," Copeland says.

Rural Hero finalists are (the late) Chris Allen, Neil Bateup and Ian Jury.

Allen, who died in an accident on his Ashburton farm last December, gave 14 years’ service as an elected Federated Farmers leader, including eight years on the national board.

A champion of rural causes, he steered a pragmatic and balanced approach on environment and water issues, earning respect not just from farmers but from those with opposing views.

Neil Bateup helped set up the Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust in 2004 and in 2017 became founding chair of the NZ RST. He’s given countless hours supporting farmers and rural families facing hard times.

The third Rural Hero finalist is Ian Jury, an 85-year-old who for 20 years has been raising money for the Taranaki rescue helicopter by collecting batteries for recycling.

Four young women selected as Emerging Leader Award finalists illustrate the depth of talent being fostered in our primary industries.

Bridie Virbickas succeeded in her bid for one of the hotly-contested DairyNZ Associate director roles and followed that by joining waste recycling enterprise AgRecovery as a foundation trustee.

A contract milker who has overseen expansion of her employing farm from 270 to 850 cows, she put up her hand to be Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty sharefarmer chair to ensure a voice for the district’s young farmers is at the decision-making table.

The role has seen her help out in a number of cases where the relationship between a sharefarmer and farm owner had broken down.

Imogen Brankin has only been with Silver Fern Farms for three years but the On-Farm Sustainability Advisor has organised 60 ‘Know Your Number’ climate change workshops.

She was winner of the 2022 Polson Higgs and Young Farmers Innovation Competition, speaking on the topic "Can Farming Deliver a Sustainable Future for New Zealand", and was part of a team of five who competed in the 2023 IFAMA Global Case Study Competition.

Newly appointed Onions NZ general manager Kazi Talaska has served on the Food and Fibre Youth Council, latterly as chair, and champions the Vegetable Industry Centre of Excellence to support the vegetable industry research pipeline.

Talaska worked with industry partners and growers to obtain $2 million in funding to set up a first-of-its-kind vegetable research farm, in Pukekohe.

The fourth Emerging Leader Award finalist is agricultural sustainability coach Lucy Brown. Through her work with the MPI-funded Integrated Farm Planning project, and in other roles, she’s found ways to show farmers sustainability is not just a theoretical concept but something that is practical and achievable.

Molesworth Station manager James (Jim) Ward is up against senior AgResearch scientists Dr Robyn Dynes and David Wheeler for the Champion Award.

For nearly two decades, Ward has been a force on the Federated Farmers High Country committee and the Wilding Pine Network NZ, where he has tirelessly advocated for change, shaped policies, and driven meaningful improvements for New Zealand high-country farmers.

Starting off as farm manager at Molesworth in 2001, Ward has faced and overcome countless challenges to ensure the station remains economically viable through a blend of pastoral farming, conservation, and recreation values - all under the microscope of the public eye.

Wheeler has worked hard to bridge the gap between environmental stewardship and agricultural productivity, shaping and improving the farm management tool Overseer.

Dynes, a Principal Scientist and Farmer Engagement Specialist in AgResearch, has had a highly regarded science career focused on farming systems at the interface between forage science and animal science.

Southland farmer Grant Lightfoot is a finalist for the Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award after creating edible and biodegradable bale netting made from jute. It’s an environment-friendly alternative to plastic netting, which isn’t recyclable and is often ingested by livestock.

The two other contenders in this category are Chia Sisters, who produce a gut health-supporting drink from a golden kiwifruit probiotic, kawakawa and hail-damaged cherries, and New Image International, which exports health and beauty products to millions of people around the world.

The full list of 2025 Primary Industries NZ Award finalists is:

Emerging Leader Award (sponsor Lincoln University)

Bridie Virbickas, Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty Sharemilker Chair

Imogen Brankin, On-Farm Sustainability Advisor, Silver Fern Farms

Kazi Talaska, General Manager, Onions NZ

Lucy Brown, The Whole Story

Champion Award (sponsor BASF)

David Wheeler, Senior Scientist, AgResearch

James (Jim) Ward, Manager Molesworth Station

Dr Robyn Dynes, Principal scientist and farmer engagement specialist, AgResearch

Team & Collaboration Award (sponsor Overseer)

nProve for Beef - online genetics tool, Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Food System Integrity Team, AgResearch, led by Dr Gale Brightwell

An open data sharing ecosystem: Fonterra, Ballance, Ravensdown, and LIC.

Technology Innovation Award (sponsor AsureQuality Kaitiaki Kai)

TEO for Ovitage®, the world's most complete collagen

FAR for Combine Workshops - increasing productivity on arable farms

Alliance Group NZ for Meat Eating Quality (MEQ) technology

Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award (sponsor Kotahi)

Chia Sisters

Kiwi Econet - founder, Grant Lightfoot

New Image International

Guardianship & Conservation/Kaitiakitanga Award (sponsor Rabobank)

Pāua Dashboard - Pāua Industry Council

The eDNA for water quality Team - led by Dr Adrian Cookson

Pacificvet, co-founder Kent Deitemeyer

Rural Hero of the Year (sponsor Fern Energy)

Chris Allen (posthumous)

Neil Bateup, Founder, Rural Support Trust

Ian Jury, Taranaki grassroots good sort

Outstanding Contribution to NZ’s Primary Industries Award (sponsor AgResearch)

Winner to be announced on the night

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