23 Mar 2012

New award recognises women in dairy industry

3:45 pm on 23 March 2012

A Taranaki farmer has been named as the first Dairy Woman of the Year.

Barbara Kuriger received the award at the Dairy Women's Network's annual conference in Rotorua.

The award is an initiative between the network and dairy co-operative Fonterra.

Mrs Kuriger owns and operates a dairy farm near Opunake with her husband Louis.

She has held a number of leadership roles within the dairy industry over the past 25 years, including as the first regional director of the genetics company LIC.

Mrs Kuriger says the award helps to highlight the challenges of being a woman in the dairy industry.

She says at community and regional level there are a lot of women involved, but it becomes more difficult at national level, particularly for women who have children.

Mrs Kuriger has received a $25,000 scholarship towards a Women in Leadership course.