Good Wairarapa showing for dairy awards

Wairarapa dairy farmers have put their hands up, with a good muster supporting this year's New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

National convenor Chris Keeping said 10 farmers from Wairarapa had entered the farm manager of the year competition, being two from each of the towns of Carterton, Featherston, Woodville and Pahiatua and one from Masterton and Eketahuna.

Likewise the dairy trainees contest had drawn a good field of nominees from Wairarapa with two from Carterton and Featherston and one from Masterton, Greytown, Pahiatua and Eketahuna.

The contest to select the country's best sharemilker/equity farmer always draws a huge number of entrants and this year hundreds have been nominated nationwide.

Wairarapa has three nominations, being one each from Masterton, Martinborough and Pahiatua.

Mrs Keeping said about 500 dairy farmers throughout the country are contesting the awards this year with nearly 70 per cent being in the hunt for the first time.

She said feedback from past years has shown that "all entrants win in one way or another" from the experience.

This could be through meeting and networking with other farmers, sponsors and industry people or simply by gaining further self confidence.

Others take the opportunity to gain more knowledge on how to develop a farm business plan and steps to achieve it.

Mrs Keeping said nearly $140,000 in cash and prizes is on offer this year to national winners and the 12 regional competitions have prize pools of up to $70,000.

Wairarapa farmers are entered in the Hawke's Bay/Wairarapa regional contests.

Winners of the three categories in each of the regional contests progress to the national final to be held in Auckland in May 2012.