Stacey and Scott Mackereth are the 2026 Southland/Otago Share Farmers of the Year.
The top performers of the Southland and Otago dairy sector were celebrated on Tuesday night, with the 2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Industry Awards announced at a gala dinner at Invercargill’s Ascot Hotel.
Scott and Stacey Mackereth were named Share Farmers of the Year, Lan Bariuad claimed Dairy Manager of the Year and Taylor Alty took the Dairy Trainee of the Year title.
The Mackereths contract milk for Fortuna Group, milking 1400 cows on 464ha at Edendale.
Scott, 42, and Stacey, 40, have worked their way up through the dairy industry and have experience across multiple systems and business structures.
They wanted to enter the Dairy Industry Awards again this year to benchmark their business and challenge their thinking.
The couple said entering the awards reinforced the importance of continually developing, both operationally and as leaders.
The Mackereths have their eyes set on a larger-scale business with governance roles and want to get into senior leadership and ultimately chief executive-level responsibility.
They said one of their key achievements was building and managing large-scale, high-performing farming operations and developing strong teams.
The judges were impressed by “the strong progression of team members into management roles, reflecting a culture of growth, learning, and exceptional leadership development”.
The Mackereths won an $8800 prize package and four merit awards.
Dairy Manager of the Year Lan Bariuad, 40, is farm manager for Fortuna Group Ltd at Edendale, milking 595 cows on 233ha.
After studying nursing in the Philippines, Bariuad started his dairy farming career in Japan, where he worked for three years.
He then moved to New Zealand, where he has worked for the past nine years.
He said the team around him was one of the strengths and pillars of his success.
“We work together, we help each other, our communication is open, and we listen to each other and give ideas on how we can improve ourselves and our production.”
The judges said Bariuad “showed an impressive understanding of livestock management and how it fits within the whole farm system”.
It’s the first time Bariuad has entered the Dairy Industry Awards.
He won $6550 and two merit awards on Tuesday evening.
Taylor Alty, Dairy Trainee of the Year, is a farm assistant for Caleb and Paula Hamill at Dunearn, milking 470 cows on 165ha.
Alty, 22, who won $5500 and one merit award, grew up on a dairy farm near Riverton.
She was always keen to work on-farm and get into relief milking as soon as she could.
She studied a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University, then travelled to Wales to work on a dairy farm before returning to New Zealand.
“Growing up on a dairy farm meant I have always had a passion for the industry, so it seemed right to follow what my parents had taught me,” she said.
With a goal of farm ownership, Alty surrounds herself with open-minded farmers willing to share their knowledge.
The judges said “Taylor demonstrated strong general farming knowledge and a good understanding of feed budgeting to meet requirements”.
Further details on the Southland/Otago Dairy Industry Awards winners and upcoming Field Day can be found here.
Share Farmer of the Year
Winner: Scott and Stacey Mackereth
Runner-up: Chris Henderson
Third: Dilpreet Singh
Dairy Manager of the Year
Winner: Lan Bariuad
Runner-up: Callum Pilsworth
Third: Bradley Ray
Dairy Trainee of the Year
Winner: Taylor Alty
Runner-Up: Amy Gouldthorpe
Third: Samantha Withers
Share Farmer Merit Awards
Dairy Manager Merit
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards
- Supplied by New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards