14 May 2012

Canterbury dominates dairy industry awards

7:26 am on 14 May 2012

Canterbury has dominated this year's dairy industry awards, with finalists from the region taking all three national titles.

Enda and Sarah Hawe have won the New Zealand Sharemilker-Equity Farmer of the Year award.

They are share milkers for the Ashburton farming family, Richard, Jan, Ben and Shannon Johnson, who also employ the winner of the dairy trainee title, Nathan Christian.

The Farm Manager of the Year is Mick O'Connor, who is contract milking an 840-cow Dairy Holdings property at Dunsandel.

It's the first time all three national award winners have come from the same region.

The awards convenor Chris Keeping says it underlines the powerhouse that Canterbury has become in terms of dairy farming.