Waikato farmers have made a strong showing at the 2021 NZ Dairy Industry Awards, taking out Manager of the Year and Trainee of the Year.
Dairy Trainee of the Year Ruth Connolly
Waikato’s Christopher Vila became the 2021 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and Ruth Connolly from Waikato was announced the 2021 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year.
Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj from Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa were named the 2021 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year.
The 2021 Dairy Manager of the Year stood out as an immigrant who has come to New Zealand and has spent the past 13 years in the New Zealand dairy industry learning and
accumulating knowledge.
Christopher Vila is a Farm Manager on the JA BE Turnwald Family Trust 103.8ha farm, milking 341 cows in Ohaupo.
Dairy Manager Head Judge Malcolm Scott, from Westpac, says Vila has built a very strong relationship with his farm owners and his family.
“Christopher is the first person the family has employed that is not a family member. Christopher has earned their trust and respect and is growing with this opportunity.”
“He’s on a farm that is like a goldfish bowl, surrounded by 50-odd houses and lifestyle blocks,” says fellow judge Gray Beagley from DairyNZ.
“He understands the property is in the public eye and does everything on-farm to the absolute best of his ability.
“Christopher cares about the neighbouring properties, and rather than spray for weeds, which risks killing urban plantings, he will pull weeds by hand near the boundary fences.
“His attention-to-detail is outstanding and he wants to do everything very well.”
The judges describe Vila as a humble, competent and passionate dairy farmer who sets high standards for himself and staff.
“He’s completely engaged in his role but also understands the importance of getting off-farm and spending time with his wife and young daughter.”
He has a good understanding of feed management and of the different feeds that are coming in to the farm.
“Feed is really only used to fill the gaps in the deficit periods,” says Beagley. “He has extremely high animal performance, and a high-quality herd.
“Christopher is keeping himself engaged with the new environment regulations that are rolling out and staying completely informed with what is happening there.”
The Dairy Manager judges were impressed by the diverse make-up of the finalists. “There were Kiwis, Argentinians, Filipinos, male, female.”
“Some of these immigrants in the dairy industry are still on work visas and have been waiting for some time to get their residency tidied up. Because of the current government inaction, it’s been held up and isn’t happening,” says Scott.
“These people are ready to take the next step in their careers, they have contracts ready to sign, but can’t move forward in their careers because they are still on work visas and are waiting and waiting for their residency to come through.”
The 2021 Dairy Trainee of the Year was awarded to Ruth Connolly from Waikato, who is described by the judges as a polished and engaging person.
The Dairy Trainee judges say Connolly stood out in the practical and was outstanding in the interview section.
“Ruth is passionate about dairy farming and is constantly pushing for perfection,” says Dairy Trainee head judge Tony Finch from DairyNZ.
The judges described her as articulate, considered and concise with a broad understanding of different industry issues.
“Ruth has a huge love and respect for the cows, the land and the people,” says judge Nicky Allomes from Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa. “She will lead by example and will bring people into the industry.”
Connolly’s passion for the dairy industry as well as her work ethic and trustworthiness were noted by the judges.
“She has an insatiable thirst for knowledge which, coupled with specific and high-reaching goals, will stand her in good stead,” says fellow judge James Courtman.
“Ruth is thankful and blessed to be a New Zealand dairy farmer.”
Connolly is Farm Assistant on the Rukuhia Holdings Ltd 259.6ha property at Ohaupo, milking 800 cows.
The judges say all the Dairy Trainee finalists possess a strong appreciation for mental health awareness and a work-life balance and are seeking further knowledge through higher education.
Share Farmers of the Year Sumit Kamboj and Manoj Kumar
The 2021 Share Farmers of the Year are driven, professional and high-achieving siblings who benchmark excellence within the industry.
Share Farmer head judge Jacqui Groves, from Westpac, says Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj impressed the judges with glowing reports from current and past employers and employees.
“They have amazing relationships with two sets of owners, who really believe in them.”
The judges were also impressed with their on-farm presentation, which used drone footage from their family farm in Northern India to explain their history and where they are from. “They literally took us there.”
“We were pretty blown away after meeting them,” said Groves. “They became ‘our boys’ and they benchmarked excellence.”
The brothers are 50/50 sharemilkers on Andrew and Monika Arbuthnott, Geoff Arends and Ester Romp’s 285ha, 460-cow Eketahuna property.
Both Kumar and Kamboj have entered the Awards previously, with Kamboj placing third in the 2018 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager category.
They say entering the Awards programme has created an excellent network within the industry and valuable feedback from judges.
“We overcame the lack of a network by engaging more and more in dairy industry events.
“The New Zealand dairy farming system is totally different from back home in India and it really appeals to us. To win the national title, Kumar and Kamboj demonstrated strengths in leadership, health and farm safety, business and community engagement.
Fellow Share Farmer judge Guy Michaels from DairyNZ says the brothers demonstrated involvement and leadership in the local community and in the dairy community. “They have a willingness to work with others to achieve joint goals and advocate on behalf of others,” he said.
An example of this was the brothers assisting a family in Wellington who had lost employment due to Covid-19. “They relocated the family and encouraged them into a role within the dairy industry.”
The judges also noted that the brothers had a strong health and safety culture on-farm. “They have a long history of recording incidents and actually following through with changes.”
Judge Guy Michaels from DairyNZ noted how strong the brothers were in their community involvement and leadership.
“They have promoted PrimaryITO courses to everyone in their community and have offered up one of their buildings to ensure the training takes place.”
A strong message across the first, second and third positions was that there are progression pathways in the industry.
“The message I often hear is that there aren’t any progression pathways, it’s too hard,” says John Numan. “But there are.
“These people are achieving it because they have the right attitude that encourages their employers to promote and back them in their business.
“There are four things you need to progress, and I call it the four A’s. Attention to detail, ability to save, ambition and attitude.
“If you’ve got those things, and the respect of the owner, you’ll go far.”
The judges also noted a theme across the board this year relating to the strong connections between farm owners, employers, and staff.
“There’s a firm link between farming and the environment. It’s a generational change, and the message is that change is coming, it’s normal and accepted.”
“They’re discussing environmental matters, sustainability and recycling on a daily basis and there’s a general understanding of greenhouse gases and environmental biosecurity.”
The runners-up in the Share Farmer of the Year competition, Waikato sharemilkers and equity partners Reuben and Deb Connolly, were described by the judges as the epitome of a young sharemilking couple.
“They are very thorough and motivating,” says Jacqui. “They’re a young couple working hard and loving every day of their life with their family.”
The Connollys have been 50/50 sharemilkers and 20% equity partners with John and Fiona Worsnop on Woolly Farm Ltd’s 110ha, 280-cow Otorohanga property for the past four seasons.
The judges noted they have demonstrated real passion for their cows and breeding.
“They had KPIs of capaciousness, fertility, udders and environmental footprint,” they said.
