Napier Port Primary Sector Awards announced at gala dinner in Hastings, with CHB couple winning Farmer of the Year

Central Hawke’s Bay farmers Simon and Lou White have claimed a second major success in less than a fortnight by winning the Silver Fern Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year title.

The acclaim came at the Napier Port Primary Sector Awards in Hastings, only nine days after they also won the Supreme honour at the 2025 East Coast Farm Environment Awards.

The latest win, Simon White said soon after the presentation awards dinner, would be celebrated at some stage with parents Neil and Gwen White, who won Farmer of the Year in 1999.

But there were things to do first in a rushed few days, like hitting the road before dawn to get a certified seed drop to Masterton, in another example of the diversification at Ludlow Farms at Ōtāne where he is the fifth generation of the family in more than a century farming in the district, determinedly preparing for the next and future generations.

Ōtāne's Simon and Lou White on Thursday night after being named Silver Fern Farms Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year at the 2025 Napier Port Hawke's Bay Primary Sector Awards. Photo / Supplied

But wait, there’s more, for at the weekend they will see two of their three in that next generation – daughter Mille and son George – off to Australia where they will be New Zealand age group equestrian representatives at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The couple claimed the latest award for their running of the business based on 1015ha of arable, sheep and beef operation Ludlow Farms, while they also lease two cropping properties at Onga Onga.

They grow vegetables, vegetable seeds, stock feed and malting barley, along with hemp, which is processed at their co-founded hempery, and recently built a state-of-the-art seed-drying complex, which is also benefiting other farmers in the district. They also finish prime lamb and beef.

The family were among those who had to fight back from Cyclone Gabrielle’s wrath, in their case as the Waipawa River burst its banks, and went through the exacting selection process, which includes opening their operation to thorough scrutiny, from the first seed in the ground to the bookwork and on-farm inspection.

“It’s a cool process,” Simon White said.

Among other winners on Thursday night were Emerging Leader Grace Fulford who claimed the national Young Grower of the Year Award in October, and Horticulturalist of the Year Liam Sykes, of Ngāi Tukairangi Trust, a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit operation that expanded into Hawke’s Bay in 2017 and has further expanded into the apple industry.

The awards were established as the Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year Award in 1972, and rebranded by the Hawke’s Bay A&P Society as the Hawke’s Bay Primary Sector Awards first held in 2015. A celebration of 50 years was staged in 2022.

The 2025 winners are:

Lawson Robinson Hawke’s Bay Scholarship: Phoebe Laugesen.

Laurie Dowling Memorial Award: Kay Griffiths.

Unison Hawke’s Bay Primary Sector Professional of the Year: Gary Speers, PGG Wrightson.

Heretaunga Hastings Primary Sector Industry Leader: Bruce Beaton.

Craigs Investment Partners Emerging Leader: Grace Fulford, T&G.

Bayleys Hawke’s Bay Innovation Award: Natural Hound.

Horticentre Trust Hawke’s Bay Horticulturalist of the Year: Ngāi Tukairangi Trust, Liam Sykes.

Pan Pac Hawke’s Bay Farm Forester of the Year: Pete Swinburn and Suzanne Hoyt, Tourere Station.

Silver Fern Farms Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year: Simon & Lou White, Ludlow Farms, Ōtāne.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues and personalities.