Beef + Lamb New Zealand award winners. Photo / Supplied

The winners in the inaugural Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Awards were announced at a gala dinner at the Napier War Memorial Centre last night.

The awards aim to celebrate the people, innovation, technologies and management systems of New Zealand's grass-based red meat industry.

Andrew Morrison, chairman of B+LNZ reflected on the achievements of the sector over the last couple of years and its resilience in maintaining strong exports in light of Covid-19.

"Environmentally, our sheep and beef production systems are amongst the most sustainable in the world with around 24 per cent of New Zealand's native vegetation flourishing on our sheep and beef farms, and one of the world's lowest carbon footprints."

Throughout the evening, the finalists of the eight award categories were introduced and winners announced. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Regional Leadership Award.

Science and Research Award

Lincoln University's Dryland Pastures Research Group won the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Science and Research Award.

For the past 20 years, the Dryland Pastures Research Group has supplied the science that underpins the agronomic guidance it provides to transform sheep and beef farms on hill country throughout New Zealand.

The group's work has transformed thousands of hectares of east coast hill country from Central Otago to Gisborne; while its message has been to use legume dominance to address low nitrogen the main impediment to production in farm systems.

In selecting the winner of this category, the judges commented that the Dryland Pastures Research Group had produced "a huge and important body of work," tackling multiple soil types and farming environments with positive outcomes for productivity, resilience and environmental sustainability.

Livestock Technology Award

The Datamars Livestock Technology Award was won by software decision support-tool Farmax.

Widely used by New Zealand's pastoral farmers to help balance financial, environmental and production goals, Farmax encourages a holistic approach to farm planning.

Judges remarked that this decision support tool had evolved over 30 years and continued to innovate to drive farm profitability, productivity and sustainability.

They noted that as science-based software, Farmax generated a good return on investment and was a leader in what it provided farmers and the industry, in terms of exploring future scenarios.

Innovative Farming Award

Canterbury-based calf rearing business Maatua Hou won the Gallagher Innovative Farming Award.

Creating a viable business on a small land holding, while demonstrating an alternative calf rearing model that reduces bobby calf wastage, is at the heart of the Maatua Hou business.

Set up by four couples who saw an opportunity to think outside of the square, Maatua Hou owns a 34ha drystock block at Burnham, around 40kms outside of Christchurch.

They established what they described as "an alternative calf-rearing model" - one where the supplier cashflows calf-rearing costs and profits are shared.

Judges commented that Maatua Hou provided an innovative and scaleable solution to the bobby calf problem and they believed that, as a business model, it demonstrated an opportunity to build a dairy support industry.

They said Maatua Hou was an interesting innovation which had its strengths in the partnership between producers and finishers and the sharing of benefits and returns.

Market Leader Award

The Silver Fern Farms Market Leader Award was won by Coastal Lamb Ltd.

Richard and Suze Redmayne launched the Coastal Spring Lamb brand in 2010 as a way to better understand their lambs' end-consumer.

Having a background in commerce and marketing before going farming, Richard wanted to build a connection between his family and the consumer through their brand, initially targeting New Zealand's domestic market.

Today Coastal Lamb Ltd involves 17 family-owned supply farms throughout the country.

Critical to Coastal Lambs' success is connecting the producers with the consumers (including chefs), many of whom had never had the opportunity to meet a farmer before.

The judges described Coastal Lamb Ltd as "a true and innovative example of market leadership".

Having forged a new path to market, Coastal Lamb Ltd had demonstrated a clear understanding of the market and in-depth communication with its customers, judges said.

Emerging Achiever Award

The AgResearch Emerging Achiever Award was won by Cambridge-based Estee Browne.

Browne is the breeding programme manager for Browne Pastoral Enterprise's sheep milking unit.

She oversees the selection of genetics and replacement ewes for the company's 1400 ewe dairy unit and rears 2400-plus lambs to weaning, after which they are either finished or retained as replacements.

Judges said Browne had "broken stereotypes" by achieving in a male-dominated area of the agricultural industry.

She had created "good, workable systems" within the sheep milking industry and had clear goals while maintaining a work-life balance, they said.

People and Development Award

The Rabobank People and Development Award was won by the Agri-Women's Development Trust (AWDT).

AWDT aims to empower women to accelerate progress and change in both the primary sector and rural communities.

Over the past 11 years, the charitable trust has helped almost 5000 people with confidence, purpose, leadership and influence from the farm to the boardroom.

The judges commented on AWDT's proven track record of successfully developing people.

They said the organisation had identified a gap in the market and developed programmes targeting female partners in farming businesses.

This had helped to build confidence and resilience in the whole red meat sector, they said.

Rural Champion Award

The FMG Rural Champion Award was won by Tairwhiti-based agribusiness professional Sandra Matthews.

Matthews was instrumental in setting up Farming Women Tairwhiti (FWT) which now has a membership of over 850 primary industry women.

Matthews believed the success of FWT was partially due to the region's isolation, with no other organisation offering farming women the support, connectivity and educational opportunities they were craving.

Since stepping back from FWT last year, Matthews took on several national governance and consulting roles and gained more time to focus on her own business coaching enterprise.

Judges said Matthews' work in establishing, leading and growing Farming Women Tairwhiti was "immeasurable".

As well as setting up FWT, Matthews has been involved in establishing a number of industry initiatives and played an often-understated role in championing the industry.

Alliance Significant Contribution Award

AgResearch scientist David Stevens, based at the Invermay research institute near Mosgiel, won the Alliance Significant Contribution Award.

Stevens' 37-year career has spanned one of the more tumultuous periods in New Zealand's agricultural history.

He has seen the removal of subsidies and the rapid shift from a focus on stocking rates and wool production to meat and productivity.

The farm system's scientist, who has a background in agronomy, was initially involved in plant breeding but this changed in the early 1990s when farmers found that what they were producing was no longer fit for market.

They needed forages that would deliver in terms of animal performance - so Stevens and his colleagues began doing animal production trials alongside agronomic trials - and this morphed into farm systems work.

He said the most rewarding part of his work was having the opportunity to work one on one with farmers through a huge range of projects.

Judges said Stevens was instrumental in creating the foundation of modern sheep and beef farming systems which delivered prosperity to many farmers.

Stevens had a long involvement with the sector and had contributed to the development of a number of resources which had significantly benefited farmers throughout the country, judges said.

Regional Leadership Award

The winner of the B+LNZ Regional Leadership Award, which recognised an outstanding individual, organisation or business in the sheep, beef and dairy beef sector, went to the East Coast Rural Support Trust.

The Trust was represented by Hawke's Bay farmers Mark Barham and Jane Tylee and Wairarapa-based former farmer and Anglican priest Steven Thomson.

The winner of this award was identified by the farmer council in the award's host region.

The judges commented that these three Rural Support Trust members in particular had carried out "outstanding work in the region," particularly during and after the drought.

Much of their work was confidential, and often went unrecognised, but judges said the Regional Leadership Award was an acknowledgement of everything they do to support rural communities and the people within them.

The rest is here:
Winners announced in inaugural Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards - New Zealand Herald

Comments are closed.