No.8 Wire: Hat-trick for Gair diggers, best in Bay

The podium finishers at the Hawke's Bay excavating championships. From left: third-placed Brent Taylor, winner Steve Galbraith and runner-up Daniel Mepham. Photo / Supplied

When it comes to digging, Gair Contracting project manager Steve Galbraith is top dog around Hawke's Bay after winning the provincial excavator championship for a fifth time.

He will represent the Bay in the New Zealand finals at the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding next March, hoping to crack the big title in what he says will be his last attempt.

The 38-year-old, employed by Gair Contracting since 1994, was third in the national final in both 2013 and 2014, but says he hadn't been "in the seat" in the seven months before this year's event.

He's a project manager and spends most of his time on the job pricing and running contracts, mainly civil work, although he says the company's operation is roughly 50/50 forestry and civil.

Placings were all Gair staff, with Daniel Mepham second, and in third place defending champion Brent Taylor.

Dairy awards

The countdown is on for those considering entering the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

Entries close at midnight on Monday, with 360 already received by early this week and with organisers confident the count will eventually top 500, though they say the lower payout environment and competition changes have created some uncertainty.

The awards include Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Fonterra win

Southern Hawke's Bay dairy farmer Andrew Hardie has been named one of two new members of Fonterra's Shareholders Council. His election, as the new Hawke's Bay ward representative, was announced this week.

Mr Hardie and partner Helen Long have farmed Te Maunga Farm, near Ormondville, for about 17 years.

Four people sought the position after previous ward councillor Sandra Cordell decided not to seek re-election.

Shears break

Shearers and woolhandlers are taking a break from competition over the next five weeks, but it's hardly a summer holiday.

For most it will be the busiest time of the year in the woolshed and there's not a lot of time to travel the hundreds of kilometres many do each weekend to keep up with their sport. Woolhandlers have already had their last pre-Christmas competition and the last shearing competition before the break is at the Stratford A and P Show on Saturday.

The next competition is in the South Island on January 9, but several World shearing tally records are being planned in the meantime, while shearing's big day out fundraiser - supporting the Cancer Society - will take place at Waitara Station, Brooks Rd, north of Te Pohue, on January 4.

Weak $ lifts prices

Producer prices rose in the September quarter, influenced by higher meat and farm gate milk prices and a weaker New Zealand dollar. Statistics New Zealand said prices, received and paid, both rose in the September quarter, up 1.3 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively. "Prices were up 10 per cent for sheep, beef, and grain farmers," said prices manager Chris Pike.

"Meat product manufacturers had an 8 per cent rise in input prices. The prices they received rose 5.5 per cent, due to higher meat export prices on the back of a weaker New Zealand dollar."