Food producers have the biggest job on earth and the cream of the arable crop was celebrated at the industry’s annual showcase awards in Christchurch on Thursday evening.
Manawatū farmer Simon Nitschke emerged as the big winner of the night, taking out the Arable Farmer of the Year supreme award.
Nitschke was also the section winner of the Maize Farmer of the Year.
Farming at Marton, Nitschke grows up to 200 hectares of maize grain, along with 100ha each of wheat and barley.
The awards judging panel said his yields are extremely high by industry standards due to careful cultivar selection, effective management of soil fertility and optimised use of resources.
His Arable Solutions business has invested in state-of-the-art grain-drying facilities and offers a package of contracting services.
Nitschke was highlighted by the judges for being willing to share his agronomic experience with other growers as part of several industry farmer groups including the Foundation for Arable Research’s (FAR) Arable Research Group (ARG) and the Growers Leading Change (GLC) programme.
A popular highlight of the evening was when Canterbury farmer Syd Worsfold was inducted into the newly formed New Zealand Arable Hall of Fame for his commitment to “all things arable”.
A 40-year veteran of the industry, Worsfold holds the record as the longest-serving United Wheat Growers (UWG) director and was an inaugural member of the FAR board.
In presenting the honour, FAR chair Steven Bierema hailed Worsfold as a willing supporter and mentor for any grower who needed help or advice.
“He balances strong opinions with an open mind and has spent many hours every year assessing frost damage claims when he should have been concentrating on his own farm, and everything he did was voluntary,” Bierema said.
Said Worsfold: “I tried to make a difference over the years for wheat growers and industry and I did find it all rewarding. I thank my family for their support as I was off the farm a lot.”
Worsfold joins Dr Phil Rolston, who was inducted into the Arable Hall of Fame at the industry’s inaugural Arable Awards in 2022.
Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett said he was hugely impressed by the calibre and commitment of this year’s winners of awards in seven categories.
“Arable is a sector that tends to fly under the radar in NZ, but it punches above its weight.
“Our growers are pivotal to domestic food staples, seed export markets and supplying the grass seed and animal grain that the bigger dairy, meat and wool sectors rely on.
“In what’s been a tough season, the resilience and innovation of our growers has shone through,” Birkett said.
Also in the running for the overall Arable Farmer of the Year were the winners of the Seed Grower of the Year Scott Rome, and Cereal Grower of the Year Peter Hewson.
The judges were very impressed with the way Hewson manages his water loss on low dryland cropping in Timaru, thanks to good tilling practices, drilling dates and careful planning.
Rome, who farms near Gore with his parents Steven and Helen, was highlighted by the judges for his technical adaptation of the farming operation to one prioritising seed production over a “very short time and steep learning curve”.
He’s heavily involved in a local catchment group, FAR’s GLC, and recently stepped up to be the Southland representative on the Feds herbage seed group.
Waikato farmer Daniel Finlayson took out the Positive Environmental Impact Award for his strong environmental stewardship as a foundation principle on his farm as opposed to a “nice to have.”
The judges noted his “genuine engagement with iwi” and his continuous efforts to find solutions, such as developing an anaerobic system for chicken manure to reduce volatilisation.
Innovation Award winner Dr Soonie Chng of the NZ Institute for Plant and Food Research is dedicated to understanding arable crop diseases and finding solutions for growers, such as sustainable management of ramularia leaf spots in barley crops.
The Canterbury-based Liquid Injection Arable Growth Group, a group of 10 farmers who have accelerated their production progress through farm trials and sharing knowledge, took home the Working Together Award.
The judges said the collaboration has given farmers in the group the encouragement and support to try new things and get out of their comfort zones.
Agronomist of the Year David Weith is a 30-year industry veteran from Timaru who has shared knowledge to help achieve two world wheat yield records and a world barley record.
Weith is also very involved in training the new generation of young agronomists and farmers.
The awards are sponsored by the NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association. General manager, Thomas Chin said the award celebrates the vital role agronomists play in the success of farmers providing expert guidance on herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and specific nutrient requirements, optimising financial returns while ensuring sustainable and environmentally responsible crop practices.
“Regular crop visits allow agronomists to build strong relationships with farmers, sharing in the satisfaction of highly successful harvests.”
Mid Canterbury croppers made a clean sweep of the UWG Awards with the grand champion wheat crop going to Stephen and Peter Blain of Strathern Farm.
They also took out the Feed Wheat Award with the judges describing the competition as one of “yield, yield, yield; a drag race to the highest yield”.
The Biscuit Wheat Award was won by Brian and Rachel Leadley, and Geoff Maw of Maw Farming took away the Premium Milling Wheat Award.
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