Ashburton Courier: March 31, 2022

RURAL
22 Ashburton Courier, March 31, 2022
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Personal challenge asuccess
Mayfield dairy traineePeter O’Connor
was named thewinner of the 2022
Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Trainee of
the Year at the awards ceremony last
weekinAshburton.
He is currently secondin charge on
Leighton andMichellePye’s 242ha,
900­cowMayfieldproperty.
The first­timeentrant entered the
awards programmetochallenge himself
and see how he compared withother
people at asimilarstage in their dairy
career.
The 23­year­old grew up on adairy farm
near Westport andwas actively involved
in thefamily farm andits development.He
obtained aBachelor of Agricultural
Science (First Class Honours) from
Lincoln University andworkedavariety
of jobs during holidays.
“I worked as asilagecontractor, an
Australianharvest in Victoria, sheep and
beefwork in Otago and reliefmilking
duringtermtime at university,” Peter
said.
“After graduating at the endof2020, I
wentsilagecontracting for another season
before beginningmycurrent role.”
Peter believes the new technology being
developedtomake dairy farming better
across many different measureswill make
the dairy industry more efficient andeven
morecompetitiveonaglobal scale.
“In the futureIwanttoembrace new
technology where possible to make my
business abetterplace to work andbe
moreprofitable.”
Peter is frustrated by the negative way
the dairy industry is portrayed in
mainstream media.
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Peter O’Connor
“They make examples out of theworst
5%, which spoil it forthe majority,” he
said.
Peter is proud that he placedthird in
the 2022 Aorangi YoungFarmer of the
Year. Future farming goals include farm
ownership and he’s keeping his options
open to work out thebestpathwaytodo
that.
“I’m currently on theGrassroots Dairy
ManagementGraduate programme and
am always looking forways to further my
knowledgeand put me in abetterposition
to progressthroughthe industry,” he says.
“Next season Iwillbemanaging a
400­cow farm near Lauristonwhich I’m
reallyexcited about.Ihope Ican continue
to learn andput myself in apositionto
take my nextstep when the right
opportunity presents itself.”
Runner­up in theDairy Trainee
Leilani Lobb
category wasAshburton farm assistant
LeilaniLobb.The assistant manager/
secondincharge worksontheNew
Zealand Rural Property Trust 180ha
700­cowfarm at Ashburton.
Leilani, 22, was brought up on adairy
farm and holds aBachelor of Agriculture
through Lincoln University.The first­time
entrant entered the awards programme to
meet new connections andtesther skills
and knowledge.
She is moving to acontract milking
position next season and wants to create a
sustainable operation that will be fit for
futurerulesand regulations.
“Technology is going to become more
prominent in our farming systems.”
George Lysaght­Dodson,20, of Lincoln
was third. He works as 2ICfor Tony
Dodunski on his 180ha Lincoln property,
milking 650cows.
Building relationships
Lauriston farm manager Blake Gordon
has placed third in the2022 Canterbury/
North OtagoDairy Manager of theYear
Awards. Blake works on Murray and
Wendy Marshall’s235ha, 1000­cow
property. The title, announced at an
awards ceremony in Ashburton last
week, waswon by Jaspal Singh, of
Waimate. Jaspreet Singh, of Darfield
was second.
Blake, 25, afirst­time entrant, found
the awards programme abeneficial way
to build new relationships with likeminded
people who are passionate
aboutthe dairy industry.
“It’s been great forpersonal
development and gainingconfidence,”
he said.
The former butcher entered thedairy
industry five years ago and is excited
aboutthe endless opportunities that
exist withinthe dairy industry.
“No dayorseason is thesame,” he
said.
Blake Gordon
“We’re always evolving and learning
new procedures and systems to helpus
to be more efficient and sustainable. I
enjoy learning from other peoples’
experiences and using them where I
can within my own farm system.”
IN BRIEF
DAIRYNZ ROLES
Two internalappointments have
beenmadetoDairyNZ’s senior
managementteam. Bridget
Maclean,currently scientist leadat
DairyNZ, hasbeen appointed
generalmanager new systemsand
competitiveness, andDrDavid
Burger, currently strategy and
investment leader forresponsible
dairy, has been appointedas
generalmanager sustainable dairy.
Ms Macleanhas worked in
agriculture, dairy, and science for
morethan 25 years, includingwith
Dow AgroSciences,Ballance,
Fonterra,and Waikato Regional
Council.She joined the DairyNZ
team in 2020. And Dr Burger, a
Waikato UniversityPhD graduate,
has over20years’ experience
working in the fieldsofresearch,
science, waterquality, sustainability
and investment leadership.
RED MEAT EXPORTS
Strong export returns for New
Zealand redmeat will face pressure
in the coming months due to labour
shortages and supply chain
disruption, the Meat Industry
Association (MIA) says. The industry
exported products worth $1.1 billion
during February 2022, with increases
in value to all major markets. Current
strong meat prices were
compensatingfor adrop in the
volume of exports, withsheepmeat
volumes down 11 per cent and beef
down seven per cent compared to
February 2021. However
absenteeism in processing plants
due to covid is adding industry
pressure on top of labour shortages
and global logistics challenges. The
overall value of exports to China
increased by four per centto$406m
during February, the United States
was up 34 per cent to $238mand the
UK 28 per cent to $66m.
NZPORKBOSS
Brent Kleiss has been appointed new
chief executive of NZPork,the
statutory industrybody working to
support NewZealand’s commercial
pig farmers. Hejoined NZPork as
policy manager in July 2021,bringing
widespread experience in the
primary sector to the role having
spent 13 years with the Ministry for
Primary Industries (MPI), most
recently as principal advisor –
stakeholder and industry
engagement for public affairs, and
roles covering border clearance and
biosecurity assurance.
He was in aChief Quarantine
Officer role at MPI for fiveyears. He
officially takes over at the helm on
May 2.