Taupo Sharemilkers Take Top Dairy Title

Central Plateau Dairy Industry Awards

STRICTLY EMBARGOED TO 11PM MARCH 14, 2007

Taupo Sharemilkers Take Top Dairy Title

Taupo sharemilkers Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier have won the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Central Plateau Sharemilker of the Year title at an awards event in Taupo tonight.

The Central Plateau Farm Manager of the Year title went to Sam and Davina Webb from Rangitaiki.

Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier are 50:50 sharemilkers, milking 690 cows on a 392ha property owned by the Waipapa Trust. They are on target for production by year ended May 31, 2007 of 245,000 kg/ms.

The couple’s ambition is to own a large profitable dairy farm business and to build their own designer home on a secluded beach with a tourist bed and breakfast operation.

Sam and Davina Webb are managing a farm milking 4523 cows on the 2000 effective hectare farm owned by Allan, Beth and Frank Crafar. They hope to realise enough capital gain from their rental properties to be able to invest in a dairy farm of their own.

Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier and Sam and Davina Webb will now go forward to represent Central Plateau in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Sharemilker of the Year and Farm Manager of the Year national final to be held in Invercargill on May 12, competing for a combined national prize pool of more than $100,000.

Runner up for Central Plateau Sharemilker of the Year was Paul and Lynelle Kuriger. Third place went to first time entrants Nick and Bec Simmonds.

Runner up for Farm Manager of the Year was Dana Richards.

A field day will be held on Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier’s farm at Poihipi Road, Taupo on Wednesday March 28 starting at 10.30am . A field day will be held at Sam and Davina Webb’s farm at Taharua Road, Rangitaiki on Wednesday April 4 also starting at 10.30 am.

Other results included

Farm Manager of the Year Merit Awards
Vet Club Rotorua Animal Health Management Award Dana Richards
Dairy InSight Human Resource Management Award Sam and Davina Webb
RD1 Farm Management Award Sam and Davina Webb
Westpac Farm Financial Management Award Bradley and Natalie Atkin
Sharemilker of the Year Merit Awards
Farm and Garden Equipment Pride and Passion Award Simon Christiansen and Sera Hathaway
Blackman Spargo Legal Audit Award Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier
ACC Workplace Safety Discounts Award Scott Paterson and Alison Brown
Blue Wing Honda ATV Safety Award Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier
Dairy InSight First Time entrant Award Nick and Beck Simmonds
Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award Paul and Lynelle Kuriger
Federated Farmers Leadership Award Paul and Lynelle Kuriger
LIC Recording and Productivity Award Mark and Daphne Williams
Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award Paul and Lynelle Kuriger
Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award Nick and Bec Simmonds
Westpac Business Performance Award Matt Pepper and Louise Marillier

Ends

© Scoop Media