Entering Dairy Awards Leads to Best Farm Practice

For Immediate Release
24 November 2010

Entering Dairy Awards Leads to Best Farm Practice

The winners of the 2010 New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition, Stefan and Annalize du Plessis, say entering the competition helps to align farm business practices with industry best.

“Entering the awards is a great way to measure yourself against your peers and to see where you fit in the industry. It helps to create a pathway to grow your business and in a way that is appropriate for the industry.

“It’s hard for people to see what the end result may be if they don’t know how they are going to get there. The competition will give you a way to get there.

“So, you will win one way or another from entering,” Stefan du Plessis says.

The du Plessis are farming in Southland and say another big benefit they gained from entering the awards is confidence. “We are not afraid to take anything on now.”

Entries are now being accepted in the 2011 awards programme – the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year.

The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

The entries are being accepted online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz and close on December 24.

Those who enter before December 10 will go into an early bird entry draw to win a Honda farm bike valued at $4000.

National Convenor Chris Keeping says more than 200 people had entered the awards online already, but there was some way to go to reach the record number of entries received for the 2010 awards programme.

“We received just over 500 entries in the 2010 awards and we are hopeful of receiving a similar number for 2011. The $4000 Honda farm bike offers a huge incentive for people to get in and enter early.”

ENDS

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