17 May 2010

South African couple win sharemilker title

6:03 am on 17 May 2010

A South African couple has won the national sharemilker of the year title at the dairy industry awards.

Stefan and Annalize du Plessis moved to New Zealand in 2001 and are now 50-50 sharemilkers on a 240-hectare farm in Southland.

They beat 11 other regional finalists to win the national award.

Mr du Plessis says they moved here nine years ago to become dairy farmers.

Other awards went to:

Farm manager of the year - Carwyn Montieth, 38, Hawke's Bay who runs a 188-hectare farm, which milks more than 500 cows at Takapau.

Dairy trainee of the year - Blake Korteweg, 26, of Otago, who is the third generation to farm his family's property at Kaitangata, near Balclutha.