NZ Dairy Awards Develops Future Leaders

NZ Dairy Awards Develops Future Leaders

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards is proving to be a breeding ground for future industry leaders.

Six of the 10 candidates currently seeking election to the Board of Directors of DairyNZ cite their participation in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards on their curriculum vitae.

Two candidates, Ben Allomes, a Director seeking re-election, and Elaine Cook are former New Zealand Sharemilkers of the Year while another candidate Greg Maughan is a former longstanding chair of the Awards executive organising committee and former regional winner in the Sharemilker of the Year competition.

Another former regional Sharemilker of the Year winner is seeking election, Murray Jamieson, while Steve Hines is a past entrant and judge. Grant Wills has judged entrants in the awards.

“It’s really heartening to see former participants in the awards put their hands up for industry governance and leadership roles,” Awards Chair Gavin Roden says. “One of the unknown benefits from entering the awards is the confidence people gain. They also gain the recognition and belief that they are good farmers and are doing a good job, and that really gives them the confidence to be more active in their community and industry.”

Mr Roden says the main focus of the awards is to provide a programme of competitions that enable people to enter and to progress in their dairy farming career.

Entries in the 2016 awards programme – including the Share Farmer of the Year (formerly Sharemilker), Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions – open online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz on October 20.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra Farm Source, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, and Ravensdown, along with industry partner Primary ITO.

Voting in the DairyNZ election closes at midday on Monday October 12.

ENDS

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