Strong Northland contingent in to win

A total of 35 entries have been received for Northland's Dairy Industry Awards. Photo / File

Despite a trying year, 35 hardy Northlanders will have the support of the local industry, writes Mike Barrington

A total of 453 entries - 35 of them from Northland - have been received in the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, which organisers have dubbed a pleasing result given the economic climate in the industry.

Nationwide, there are 119 entries in the Share Farmer of the Year competition (9 from Northland), 165 entered in the Dairy Manager of the Year competition (12 from Northland) and 169 in the Dairy Trainee of the Year competition (14 from Northland).

Entrants will first compete in one of 11 regional competitions being held throughout the country in February and March next year. The 33 winners of those competitions will progress to the national finals in May.

Four of the Northland Share Farmer entrants and three in the Dairy Manager category have competed in previous years.

Entry numbers are down on the 539 received last year and are the lowest nationally since 2010 but Northland has three more entrants than the 32 from the region who competed in the 2015 awards, when there were eight entrants in the Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year contest and 12 each in the Farm Manager and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.

Northland entrants in the 2016 Dairy Industry Awards are:

SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Grant and Danielle Petterd, who are 30 per cent sharemilkers on a 186ha farm at Okaihau milking 458 cows estimated to produce 180,000kgMS this season.

Hayden Hawkes, a contract milker on a 100ha Whangarei farm with 200 cows estimated to produce 52,000kgMS.

Aaron Mitchell and Tayla Cherrington-Wills, contract milkers on a 100ha Paparoa farm with 254 cows estimated to produce 85,000kgMS.

Delwyn and Niall McKenzie, 50 per cent sharemilkers on 100ha at Kaiwaka with 209 cows estimated to produce 65,000kgMS.

Damian and Rochelle Dixon, 50 per cent sharemilkers on 144ha at Ruakaka with 374 cows estimated to produce 145,000kgMS this season.

John Glass, a contract milker on a 110ha farm at Maungaturoto, where 235 cows are estimated to produce 90,000kgMS.

Glen and Trish Rankin, 50 per cent sharemilkers on 200ha at Kohukohu with 270 cows estimated to produce 62,000kgMS.

Jamal Mohammed, a contract milker of 392 cows on a 256ha farm at Te Kopuru.

Shane and Melanie Couttes, 50 per cent sharemilkers on a 125ha Whangarei farm with 295 cows estimated to produce 88,366kgMS.

DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Greg Imeson, manager of a 310ha farm with 801 cows at Hikurangi; Brendon Davison, herd manager on a 144ha farm with 450 cows at Whangarei;

Kris and Renee Gatehouse, managers of a 140ha farm with 340 cows at Ruawai; Jared Dean,herd manager of 622 cows on a 230ha farm at Whangarei; Martyn Davies, 2IC on a 280ha farm with 672 cows at Kamo; Simon Bradly, manager on a farm in Helensville.

Jordan Hale, manager of a 108ha farm with 200 cows at Wellsford/Tomarata; J Horsford, assistant manager of a 120ha farm with 278 cows at Kawakawa;

Viender Singh, herd manager on a 400ha Maungaturoto farm with 690 cows; Balkaran Singh Sran, manager of 160ha Hikurangi farm with 580 cows; Stephen Ryan, assistant on a 174ha Titoki farm with 430 cows; Dion Thompson, 2IC on a 170ha Matarau farm with 381 cows.

DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Dion Ramsey, 20, from a 208ha Whangarei farm with 500 cows; Chloe Richardson, 23, from a 100ha Whangarei farm with 200 cows; Christina Aitken, 21, from a 140ha Ruawai farm with 340 cows; Paddy McCarty-Plant, 19, from a 130 Whangarei farm with 300 cows; Pania Leef, 23, from a 600ha Hukerenui farm with 800 cows; Erin Mitchell, 21, from a 280ha Kamo farm with 680 cows; Glenn Horsford, 24, from a 120ha Kawakawa farm with 280 cows.

Trina Holtham, 18, from a 180ha Titoki farm with 550 cows; Henry McLeod, 20, from a 230ha Whangarei farm with 630 cows; Brooke Reid, 20, from a 340ha Wellsford farm with 680 cows; Natalie Subritzky, 24, from a 175ha Purua farm with 400 cows; Devon Taylor, 19, from a 320ha Hikurangi farm with 600 cows; Sarah Powell, 18, from a 80ha Titoki farm with 220 cows; Kurtis Danks, 20, from a 400ha Wellsford farm with 640 cows.

-Northland entrants will meet with regional sponsors for an information lunch at the Plus cricket pavilion at Cobham Oval in Whangarei from 11am-2pm on Wednesday.