Canterbury and North Otago has had a clean sweep at this years Dairy Industry Awards.
Dairy Industry Awards winners Peter O'Connor, Will Green and Jaspal Singh. Photo: Supplied
For the first time in the awards 33 year history all three major categories and the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award were awarded to farmers from the two regions.
They were presented the silverware at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre on Saturday night.
Will Green, a share milker based in Hinds, was named New Zealand Share Farmer of the year.
The 34-year-old originally from the UK is a 34 percent sharemilker on a farm milking 1060 cows.
Share farmer head judge Guy Michaels said Green impressed the judges with his contagious energy, accuracy and his constant business reviewing looking for opportunities to learn.
"He's a great example of somebody who has come to New Zealand and recognises the opportunities the New Zealand dairy industry offers and has embraced the system, which is completely opposite to what he was used to back home"
Jaspal Singh, who works as a farm manager on Mark and Carmen Hurst's 220 hectare 800 cow property in Waimate, won Dairy Manager of the Year.
Singh moved to New Zealand from India in 2014 to study information technology but after completing his degree he began working as a dairy farm assistant in Mossburn.
Dairy manager head judge Gray Beagley describes Singh as a professional, detailed, diligent person who possesses a desire to succeed with a dedication to growth.
"From the moment we entered the farm gate to the time we left, we witnessed an immaculately presented farm and a polished and professional presentation which highlighted Jaspal's knowledge and sense of responsibility for the farm's management and performance.
"Jaspal displayed his dedication to learning, growth and a strong desire to succeed in the New Zealand dairy industry and he also inspires others to excel, by mentoring and sharing knowledge."
He documented improvement under his management on a number of metrics including reproductive performance, incidence of lame cows, somatic cell count and production figures, Beagley said.
"He provides his team with clarity around the why things are done are certain way, not just the how, with policies and procedures that ensured a consistent high-quality outcome," the judges said.
"Jaspal's attention-to-detail was incredible and he demonstrated best practice across the board."
The 2022 Dairy Trainee of the Year was awarded to first time entrant Peter O'Connor from Canterbury/North Otago.
The 23-year-old, who has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Lincoln University, grew up on a dairy farm near Westport and was actively involved in the family farm and its development.
He is currently second in charge on Leighton and Michelle Pye's 242ha, 900-cow Mayfield property and will progress to a new role managing a 400-cow farm near Lauriston next season.
The judges said O'Connor is a mature, capable person with extremely strong practical skills.
Peter has an excellent understanding of the co-operative model and the importance of it to the industry. "He also understood that the model doesn't just happen by itself - you have to get involved if you want to make it happen.
"Peter was up-to-date with the major factors influencing the industry, including the labour shortage," judge Mark Laurence of DairyNZ said. "He has good broad general knowledge of the industry and how those topics then flow back to on-farm."