The rural township of Dairy Plains is living up to its name, with all three finalists in the 2024 ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award hailing from this region.
Tasmanian dairy farmers are being recognised for their excellence in dairy business management, with finalists announced today ahead of the 2024 Tasmanian Dairy Industry Awards Dinner at Devonport on 22 March. The Awards are hosted by DairyTas and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA).
Lesley Irvine from TIA is one of the judges of the Tasmanian Dairy Awards. She said the awards showcase businesses who are excelling in many different aspects of dairy farm management including people, environment, safety and overall business performance.
The finalists of the 2024 ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award are:
- Ashburton – located at Dairy Plains, owned by Aurora Dairies and managed by Francesco Fornar
- Dalmore Dairy – located at Dairy Plains, owned by BWB and managed by Mahesh Gampala
- Juniper Lea – located at Dairy Plains, owned by BWB and managed by Luke Davey-Baldock
The Dairy Business of the Year Award is conducted by the TIA as part of the DairyHIGH2 research program which is funded by Dairy Australia and TIA. The program focuses on driving profitability and sustainability for Australian dairy farmers.
The other judges for this year’s award are Troy Ainslie, manager of Woodrising Dairies and winner of the 2023 ANZ Tasmanian Dairy Business of the Year Award, and Donna Avery, ANZ Agribusiness Manager.
“The three finalists in the ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award were selected out of a group of 29 Tasmanian dairy farm businesses who provided benchmarking data for the 2022-23 financial year,” Ms Irvine said.
“Dalmore and Ashburton have been finalists in previous years and it’s great to see them back again this year. Juniper Lea is a recent dairy conversion and to be recognised as a finalist in their second year operating as a dairy farm is an achievement in itself.”
“While the dairy businesses appear different from the outside consistent themes emerged as the judges spoke with each of the finalists. These themes include the importance of their farm team in their success, the care they have for their cows and the environment, and the focus on managing their pastures as a key driver of their profitability.”
TIA will also present the 2024 Fonterra Share Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. The finalists are:
- Ryan and Bridget Langley, share farming with Circular Head Farms at Redpa
- Craig and Zoe Waterhouse, share farming with Circular Head Farms at Redpa
- Terry and Catherine Viney, farming at Chudleigh
- Wayne and Caroline Saward, share farming with Aurora Dairies
DairyTas will present six awards as part of the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Awards, along with the Future of Dairy Scholarship. The categories are:
2024 Blackley Pipelines & Irrigation Dairy Employee of the Year Award
2024 Aurora Energy Employer of Choice Award
2024 Mondelez Young Dairy Farmer Encouragement Award
2024 NRM North Dairy Environmental Award
2024 Safe Farming Tasmania Dairy Farm Safety Award
2024 Dairy Service Award sponsored by Elphinstone Stevens Pty Ltd
More information about the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Awards Dinner.
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