Competition Improves Sharemilkers Business

Entering the Waikato Sharemilker of the Year Competition has benefited Malcolm and Rosalie Piggott's farming business - and their bank balance.

Last night the Piggotts were announced winners of the Waikato regional competition, which is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary.

They also scooped four merit awards - the Merial New Zealand Animal Health award, Livestock Improvement Best Herd Records, Ecolab Farm Dairy Environment and Federated Farmers Leadership award - to take home product and cash prizes worth nearly $13,000.

The Piggotts will now progress to the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year final to be held in Auckland on May 3, where they will compete for a total prize pool worth more than $60,000.

ACC, Blue Wing Honda, Bank of New Zealand, Fonterra, Livestock Improvement, Ravensdown, Ecolab, RD1, Dairy InSight and Dexcel sponsor the competition.

Malcolm and Rosalie are currently 50:50 sharemilking 845 cows on two properties near Putaruru, owned by Hodderville Farms Ltd.

Their herd is producing up to 850kg milksolids per hectare on the rolling to steep contoured farms totalling 285ha. The farms also have rocky outcrops.

They say they have entered the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year Competition, run in association with Federated Farmers of New Zealand Inc, to up skill their knowledge for their farming business.

"We've found the competition to be a great way to meet other likeminded people, improve our farming and our sharemilking business."

It was the third time they had entered the competition and they have been sharemilking for 10 years.

The Piggotts have a goal of purchasing their own farm and of continuing to grow their asset for future generations.

Phil and Bernadette Winter of Arapuni placed second in the competition, with Hugh Candy and Kerry Lucas-Candy of Ngarua coming third.

A field day will be held on the Piggotts property on March 27.

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