Papakaio sharemilkers Morgan and Hayley Easton have placed second in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Sharemilker-Equity Farmer of the Year competition.
The award, announced at an event in Wellington last night, was won by Southland representatives Don and Jess Moore.
The 2013 New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year title went to Richard Pearse, of Ashburton, and James Warren, of Winton, was named New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year. The Eastons, the 2013 Canterbury-North Otago Sharemilker-Equity Farmers of the Year, are 50% sharemilkers at Papakaio, on the lower Waitaki Plains.
They won the national competition's LIC Recording and Productivity Award along with $19,000 in prizes last night. The couple have spent the past five years developing a 365ha property, owned by Mr Easton's parents David and Clare, and have increased cow numbers from 450 to 1350.
