“Their efforts inspire others and lift the employment prospects and standard of living for fellow Kiwis.”
Rural Hero of the Year finalists
Rural Hero finalists are (the late) Chris Allen, Neil Bateup and Ian Jury.
Allen, who died in an accident on his Ashburton farm last December, gave 14 years’ service as an elected Federated Farmers leader, including eight years on the national board.
A champion of rural causes, he steered a pragmatic and balanced approach on environment and water issues, earning respect from farmers and those with opposing views.
Neil Bateup helped set up the Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust in 2004 and became the founding chairman of the NZ Rural Support Trust in 2017.
He’s given countless hours supporting farmers and rural families facing hard times.
The third Rural Hero finalist is Ian Jury, an 85-year-old who for 20 years has been raising money for the Taranaki rescue helicopter by collecting batteries for recycling.
Emerging Leader Award finalists
Four young women selected as Emerging Leader Award finalists illustrate the depth of talent fostered in New Zealand’s primary industries.
Bridie Virbickas succeeded in her bid for one of the hotly-contested DairyNZ associate director roles and followed that by joining waste recycling enterprise AgRecovery as a foundation trustee.
A contract milker who has overseen the expansion of her employing farm from 270 to 850 cows, she put up her hand to be Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty sharefarmer chairwoman to ensure a voice for the district’s young farmers is at the decision-making table.
The role has seen her help in several cases where the relationship between a sharefarmer and farm owner had broken down.
Imogen Brankin has only been with Silver Fern Farms for three years, but the On-Farm Sustainability Advisor has organised 60 “Know Your Number” climate change workshops.
She was the winner of the 2022 Polson Higgs and Young Farmers Innovation Competition, speaking on the topic “Can Farming Deliver a Sustainable Future for New Zealand”, and was part of a team of five who competed in the 2023 IFAMA Global Case Study Competition.
Newly appointed Onions NZ general manager Kazi Talaska has served on the Food and Fibre Youth Council, latterly as chairwoman, and champions the Vegetable Industry Centre of Excellence to support the vegetable industry research pipeline.
Talaska worked with industry partners and growers to obtain $2 million in funding to set up a first-of-its-kind vegetable research farm in Pukekohe.
The fourth Emerging Leader Award finalist is agricultural sustainability coach Lucy Brown.
Through her work with the Ministry for Primary Industries-funded Integrated Farm Planning project and in other roles, she’s found ways to show farmers that sustainability is not just a theoretical concept but something practical and achievable.
Champion Award
Molesworth Station manager James (Jim) Ward is up against senior AgResearch scientists Dr Robyn Dynes and David Wheeler for the Champion Award.
For nearly two decades, Ward has been a force on the Federated Farmers High Country committee and the Wilding Pine Network NZ, where he has tirelessly advocated for change, shaped policies and driven meaningful improvements for New Zealand high-country farmers.
Starting as farm manager at Molesworth in 2001, Ward has faced and overcome countless challenges to ensure the station remains economically viable through a blend of pastoral farming, conservation and recreation values, all under the microscope of the public eye.
Wheeler has worked hard to bridge the gap between environmental stewardship and agricultural productivity, shaping and improving the farm management tool Overseer.
Dynes, a principal scientist and farmer engagement specialist in AgResearch, has had a highly regarded science career focused on farming systems at the interface between forage science and animal science.
Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award finalists
The Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award finalists are Chia Sisters, who produce a gut health-supporting drink from a golden kiwifruit probiotic, kawakawa and hail-damaged cherries, and New Image International, which exports health and beauty products to millions of people around the world.
2025 Primary Industries NZ Award finalists
Emerging Leader Award (Lincoln University)
- Bridie Virbickas, Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty sharemilker chairwoman
- Imogen Brankin, on-farm sustainability adviser, Silver Fern Farms
- Kazi Talaska, general manager, Onions NZ
- Lucy Brown, The Whole Story
Champion Award (BASF)
- David Wheeler, senior scientist, AgResearch
- James (Jim) Ward, manager, Molesworth Station
- Dr Robyn Dynes, principal scientist and farmer engagement specialist, AgResearch
Team & Collaboration Award (Overseer)
nProve for Beef – online genetics tool, Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Food System Integrity Team, AgResearch, led by Dr Gale Brightwell
An open data sharing ecosystem: Fonterra, Ballance, Ravensdown and LIC.
Technology Innovation Award (AsureQuality Kaitiaki Kai)
- TEO for Ovitage, the world’s most complete collagen
- FAR for Combine Workshops - increasing productivity on arable farms
- Alliance Group NZ for Meat Eating Quality (MEQ) technology
Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer Award (Kotahi)
- Chia Sisters
- New Image International
Guardianship & Conservation/Kaitiakitanga Award (Rabobank)
- Pāua Dashboard – Pāua Industry Council
- The eDNA for water quality team, led by Dr Adrian Cookson
- Pacificvet, co-founder Kent Deitemeyer
Rural Hero of the Year (Fern Energy)
- Chris Allen (posthumous)
- Neil Bateup, founder, Rural Support Trust
- Ian Jury, Taranaki grassroots good sort
Outstanding Contribution to NZ’s Primary Industries Award (AgResearch)
The winner will be announced on the night.
