Dairy industry’s top performers recognised

Top dairy workers in Canterbury and the West Coast have been recognised for their performances at Dairy Industry Awards regional events held recently.

] by Kent Caddick

Maruia share milkers Ricky and Maria Johnson, were announced as the winners of the Share Farmer of the Year Category in the 2023 West Coast/Top of the South Dairy Industry Awards at the awards dinner held in Shantytown, while Hinds couple Jonathon and Stacey Hoets took out the same catego- ry in the Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards held in Christchurch.

Getting the right advice early makes a difference.

In the West Coast/Top of the South region the other big winners were Gurpreet Singh (Cape Foulwind), who was named the 2023 Dairy Manager of the Year, and Reefton’s Ireland Cain, the Dairy Trainee of the Year, while in the Canterbury/North Otago region Jack Symes (Southbridge), took out the Dairy

Manager award and Brayden Johnston from Oxford the Dairy Trainee title.

The Hoets, who are 20% equity partners with John and Kelly Nicholls on a 178ha Hinds property, milking 760 cows, have entered the awards three times previously and say they have grown their network and upskilled on areas that were challenging through the experience.

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