2024 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards: The Country’s Jamie Mackay nominated

The Country host Jamie Mackay is a finalist for the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award.

The Country’s host Jamie Mackay has been named among the finalists for the 2024 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards.

Mackay, who recently celebrated 30 years of The Country, is up for the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award.

The Primary Industries New Zealand Awards are open to individuals, teams and companies from any producer groups working in, or supporting the primary sector.

The awards are also an opportunity to celebrate and recognise innovation, excellence, collaboration and success across the primary industries.

The awards website says the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award recognises the efforts of one of its own.

“This award will go to a long-standing hero who has continuously supported both their rural community and their given rural industry with commitment and dedicated service.

“The winner of this award consistently supports their local community and goes above and beyond for others in times of extreme and challenging times.”

Mackay is up against former Horticulture NZ president Julian Raine and deputy secretary of trade and economic for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vangelis Vitalis.

Mackay said he was surprised to be a finalist and was “just happy to be mentioned in the same breath” as Raine and Vitalis.

“They’re both legends in their own fields and their accomplishments far outweigh mine,” he said.

“I told my wife this morning that I was a finalist and she said, ‘that’s lovely dear, who are you up against?’

“I said it was just some bloke who negotiated the FTAs with the UK and EU and the other one built a dam when he wasn’t busy running Hort NZ.

“She burst out laughing.”

The 2024 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards winners will be announced at a function at the Tākina Wellington on July 2.

2024 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards finalists

Emerging Leader Award

Claire Williamson - Velma & Beverley

Jordi Hoult - Ministry for Primary Industries

Sam Waugh - Donald’s Farm

Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award

Julian Raine - dairy and horticulture farmer/grower

Jamie Mackay - Presenter, The Country, NZME

Vangelis Vitalis - deputy decretary of Trade and Economic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Rowena Duncum and Julian Raine about the awards on The Country below:

Champion Award

Warren Parker (posthumous)

Pāmu Farms of New Zealand

Dr Stuart Davis, LeaderBrand Produce

Cameron Taylor, Taylor Corporation

Team & Collaboration Award

Ashna Khan - Agrisea

Tanya Pouwhare - New Zealand Ethical Employers

The organisations for the CRA3 lobster biotoxin response - Ministry for Primary Industries, Seafood Standards Council, New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council, Crayfish Area Management Committee, Licensed Fish Receivers.

Science & Research Award

ESR Groundwater Team and DairyNZ

Dr Gale Brightwell - AgResearch – for the food integrity team

Paul Dalziel - Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, Lincoln University

Technology Innovation Award

Liam Beattie - bidr

Samantha Tennent - WelFarm

John Schol - Farm 4 Life Hub.

Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award

New Image International - Repost

Southern Pastures/Lewis Road Creamery

Guardianship & Conservation Award (Kaitiakitanga Award)

Dr Adrian Cookson - AgResearch for the eDNA Water Quality Team

Damien and Jane Roper - farm owners

Anna Benny - Otago South River Care for the Catchment Collective Team

Celebrating a Rural Hero of the Year

Alastair Macgregor - Farmy Army

Craig Hickman - DairymanNZ

Cara and John Gregan - Suporters of Meat the Need.