"Lamb Producer/Finisher" is the category for the 2005 Lincoln University Foundation Rabobank Farmer of the Year Competition and entry applications for the popular annual event are now open.
"The buoyant price for prime lamb has encouraged many new entrepreneurial partnerships and innovative contracts never contemplated 10 years ago when this category last featured in the competition," says the Chair of the Lincoln University Foundation Trustees, Rosemary Acland of Mount Peel Station.
"The foundation's trustees believe that the positive exposure given to lamb producers/finishers in 1995 through the competition can be repeated in 2005 to the benefit of the industry," says Mrs Acland.
The trustees definition of the category for the purposes of the competition is that the Lamb Producer/Finisher must be wintering at least 1500 sheep stock units and at least 55 percent of gross revenue must be derived from sheep. The farm must be run as a commercial livestock unit focussed on lamb finishing from the farmer's own bred stock or bought in store stock i.e. not as a stud or short term dealer type operation.
The winner of the Farmer of the Year title receives a $10,000 travel award with second and third prizes of $5000 and $2000 respectively. The awards are made to enable top performers to travel internationally or nationally and bring back technology or ideas and adapt them to New Zealand's farming systems.
This is consistent with the main aim of the Lincoln University Foundation which is to encourage and facilitate the flow of appropriate people to and from New Zealand who can contribute to the development of the country's land-based industries.
The competition was founded in 1983 and the reports of past winners confirm that it is meeting its objective well.
The Lamb Producer/Finisher winners in 1995 were John and Joan Hopcroft of Gummies Bush, Southland and they used their grant to travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland. They particularly enjoyed meeting British farmers on their farms and at the major shows they visited in the United Kingdom.
The Hopcrofts are "all-grass farmers" and the John says that the major thing he learnt was not to go down the path of expensive winter supplementary feed, the traditional route of UK farmers.
Lincoln University Foundation acknowledges the support of Rabobank in this annual competition.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins, Journalist
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Email:Ian Collins