Last Chance for Dairy Awards

Media release
14 December 2006

Last Chance for Dairy Awards

There’s less than a week left for farm managers and sharemilkers to take up the opportunity of being part of the first New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

Entries close on December 20 which means entrants can relax over Christmas knowing they have completed the formality.

The entry process is designed to be simple and straightforward, says National convenor Chris Keeping.

“We know everyone is busy at this time of year, but with people going on holiday and tied up with family commitments, filling out the entry is one job that can be easily ticked off the list of ‘things to do’.”

Entry numbers are up on the corresponding time last year, particularly in a number of North Island regions.

“The new format of the awards, bringing competitions for dairy trainees, farm managers and sharemilkers under the umbrella of the Dairy Industry Awards has really captured the imagination of the industry – they can see the natural progression of a career in dairying,” Ms Keeping says.

The awards’ sponsors - Westpac, Dairy InSight, Fonterra, RD1, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, Federated Farmers, Ecolab, Honda and ACC, along with industry partner Dexcel – are also extremely pleased with the reaction to the changed approach.

Organisers would like to see more entries from southern regions, acknowledging some areas have had a couple of hard seasons.

“Everyone knows that certain areas have had a harder time than others. Canterbury, for example, has had a tough time and as organisers, we know people are sometimes reluctant to put themselves forward after a trying year.

“But every entrant needs to be aware they are judged on how they have responded to the challenges of the environment in which they operate – that’s what makes it possible to decide on a national winner when entrants come from regions as totally different as the West Coast and Waikato,” Ms Keeping says.

Times lines for all the regional awards are posted on the Dairy Industry Awards website: www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz . This also includes detailed information about the three competitions along with downloadable entry forms and links to sponsors.

ENDS

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