The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Top quality milk wins awards for Fonterra farmers

Bush Telegraph
14 Jul, 2019 09:58 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Many of the 50 farmers who received Grade Free certificates at Fonterra's Ruaroa Hall meeting.

Many of the 50 farmers who received Grade Free certificates at Fonterra's Ruaroa Hall meeting.

"Having good quality milk is vital to the success of both the farm and the company," said Tony Hasslett Area Manager for Fonterra in Hawkes Bay at the annual Grade Free Awards this year hosted at the Ruaroa Hall.

He was commending the 50 award winners from 200 dairy farms in the Fonterra Ward stretching from Gisborne to Woodville. He said the proportion of grade-free farms was the highest he could remember in the ward which produced 36 million kg of milk solids in the season just ended, the same as last year.

Tararua from Woodville north produced 14 million kg of milk solids.

While quantity is important, quality is also vital, a point reiterated by Andrew Hardie Representative of the Fonterra Share Holders Council who recently visited Massey University.

 The Gold Award Plaque.
The Gold Award Plaque.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It highlighted the great efficiency and quality gains in processing from good milk."

After a meet 'n' greet and barbecue lunch Andrew and Tony Hasslett gave an update on the industry and answered a few questions. Tony discussed the merits of accepting Fonterra's set payout for milk as opposed to that on the NZX 50.

Andrew said Fonterra is selling some of its overseas assets with the aim to focus on adding value to dairy products within New Zealand. He said representations to Government were being made especially on the issue of the carbon tax.

Retiring dairy farmers Steve and Karen Daulton received a certificate of appreciation from Andrew Hardie Representative of the Fonterra Share Holders Council.
Retiring dairy farmers Steve and Karen Daulton received a certificate of appreciation from Andrew Hardie Representative of the Fonterra Share Holders Council.

Then the awards were presented for a Grade-Free season. Grade-free means the milk received into the tanker is pure. Assessed almost instantly, the company can know the milk is safe to transfer into its processing plant and so can the farmer get almost instant feedback within minutes.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In addition to the 50 recipients of certificates there were six who received the Gold Award Plaque earned by having more than four consecutive years Grade Free. For the Fonterra Ward: Stuart and Brenda Thirkell (Dannevirke), Keith and Tanya Cresswell (Woodville), David and Tracey Thompson (Takapau), Neil and Marie Paton (Takapau), Stuart and Sandra Cordell (Dannevirke) and Luke and Renee Haye (Norsewood).

Some of the six Gold Award Plaque recipients.
Some of the six Gold Award Plaque recipients.

Fonterra also recognised the retirement of Steve and Karen Daulton after 50 years in the industry, the last 30 on Tataramoa Road. Tony Hasslett said farmers like Steve and Karen were an essential part of the company farming network and he thanked them for their loyalty and contribution.

Steve reminisced about his early days on Armstrong Road with party lines and good neighbours, briefly tracing a career supplying the Town Milk Dairy Factory and then to Fonterra. His farm has been sold to Aaron and Jo Passey but he will continue to run dry stock on 100 acres along Otanga Road.

Andrew speaks of the changes and future in the dairy industry.
Andrew speaks of the changes and future in the dairy industry.

A good mix of over 60 farmers, young and old, with youth and experience, owners, sharemilkers and farm managers all met at Ruaroa.

Discover more

Agribusiness

Fonterra board loses power over director candidate choice

15 Jul 05:00 PM

Many of the 50 farmers who received Grade Free certificates at Fonterra's Ruaroa Hall meeting.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP