Regional Committees drive excellence

For immediate release October 28, 2003

Regional Committees drive excellence in the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards

The Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards will use its very strong rural networks and those of the competition's sponsors to drive quality entries for the current season's event.

"This year is unique in that we're tapping into not only our, but also the sponsors' local networks with identifying strong competitors from the regions and encouraging them to enter. We've also extended our entry period to give potential entrants more time to consider their entry and provide the necessary information," says competition Project Manager, Glenys Parton.

The competition's goal is building New Zealand's reputation for on-farm excellence and identifying and encouraging local successful farmers to enter will be the focus of the eight recently formed regional competition committees.

"It would be hard to match the depth of rural experience and networks we have available to us through our sponsors," says competition Project Manager, Glenys Parton.

"Each regional team comprises a Fonterra Shareholders' Councillor, Fonterra Field Representative, Westpac Agribusiness Manager, Dexcel Consulting Officer, representative from each of the sponsors and a local farmer," says Glenys.

Glenys says that the regional committees are taking a very active approach toward encouraging entries.

"Each committee sits down and identifies farmers who are potentially good candidates. Following this they approach that person and mentor them through the entry process.

"Having mentors, such as former winner Barbara Kuriger and Lloyd McCallum on a committee gives potential entrants a variety of people who can assist them in every way possible," says Glenys.

"This year we hope to see even more quality entries with the regional networks driving and encouraging that process through providing farmers with a more personal and approachable group of people to consult with.

"The benefits of shared knowledge and meeting like-minded farmers has been the most common benefit of the competition singled out by our entrants in the past three years. We're utilising our regional networks to begin that information-sharing process early in the piece," says Glenys.

The Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in eight categories of dairy farming and dairy farm management. The categories are:

Supreme award:
Fonterra Westpac Farm Business of the Year Award

Industry Service award:
Holden NZ Lifetime Achievement Award

Performance awards:
RD1 Farm Manager Award
DTS Environment Award
Pioneer Business Growth Award
Livestock Improvement Productivity Award
Ravensdown Quality Management Award
Dairy InSight Let's Talk Dairying Human Wealth Award

The eight regions are as follows:
Northland
North West Waikato/King Country
Waikato East
BOP/South Waikato
Taranaki
Lower Nth Island
Northern South Island
Southern South Island

Fonterra suppliers wishing to enter the awards should contact their local Field Representative or visit www.dairyexcellenceawards.co.nz for further information.

© Scoop Media