Arable farming’s top growers who have continued to shine and innovate during a tough couple of seasons will be celebrated at the Arable Awards in Christchurch.

The function will give growers a break as they continue to work through poor growing seasons, rising costs and weak grain prices.

Federated Farmers arable chairman Chris Dillon said the awards recognised grower and team finalists who had stood tall in challenging times.

“It’s said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that’s true of this year’s crop of finalists.’’

He said  the Middle East fighting continued to put pressure on fuel and fertiliser prices which was hurting arable prospects with the planting season looming.

“More than ever, we need the innovation, commitment to excellence and environmental sustainability, research and willingness to share knowledge that these growers, agronomists and companies bring to the table.”

The Arable Farmer of the Year winner and Hall of Fame addition will be named at an awards dinner in Christchurch on August 20.

Finalists in the seven other categories were announced in the lead up to the awards now held every two years.

They range from a couple who set up their own stone-ground milling enterprise to developers of a seed treatment reducing nitrogen losses.

The Innovation Award finalists are Paul Oliver, Mariana Andreucci and Marty and Georgina Skur, while Tim Gorton and Lovett Family Farms will vie for the Positive Environment Impact Award.

Growers Donald Stobie, Mark Shera and Patrick and Belinda Nicolle are in contention for the Maize Grower of the Year, Geoff and Joy Hayward and family, Guy and Kathryn Wigley and Andrew and Amy Darling for the Cereal Grower of the Year and John and Mel McCaw, Brendan and Rachel Moore and Jeremy and Kate Simpson for the Seed Grower of the Year awards.

Among the finalists for the Agronomist of the Year award are Nicola Pace, Sean Mulligan and Mariana Andreucci, while the SCID Rebuild team, Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture and Oat Industry Group are in the contest for the Working Together Award.

Mr Dillon said he was particularly impressed by the three Innovation Award finalists.

The Skurrs, who work the Canterbury land Marty’s great-grandfather began farming in the 1920s, added another value stream by setting up Minchins Milling, an on-farm stone-ground flour enterprise.

The flour is prized by sourdough makers and home bakers, and direct connections the couple have made with consumers give their arable business a niche market.

Another finalist is agronomist Paul Oliver, who has played a key role in bringing H&T Agronomics’ Always N from development and extensive trials to commercialisation.

The microbial seed treatment helps reduce nitrogen losses, so growers can reduce their reliance on synthetic nitrogen inputs.

The third finalist is Lincoln University researcher Mariana Andreucci.

By investigating cultivar characteristics, biomass production, and farm management, her research is helping growers lift their crop performance and unlock potential in more wheat varieties.

The trio vying for the Positive Environment Impact Award include Lovett Family Farms, led by Daniel Lovett near Ashburton whose sustainable farming focuses on improving soil health, water-use efficiency and biodiversity.

Judges said the family had built a resilient farming system using innovation and had shared this with the wider agricultural community.

Mr Gorton, who runs a mixed arable, livestock and dairy farming business near Feilding, has improved waterway health with extensive planting and management.

Judges said he showed how productive farming and environmental responsibility could work hand in hand.

A record maize harvest has been the one bright spot in arable farming and finalists for the Maize Grower of the Year all share large operations.

Mr Shera grows 250ha  of maize near Ashburton, as part of a 1200ha arable operation.

Supported by a dryer and silo complex, his business is the largest maize grain operation in the South Island.

Mr Stobie, the Federated Farmers Waikato arable chairman, operates a 450ha farm in Gordonton, growing about 200ha of maize, producing some of the best maize yields in the country.

The Nicolles lease land and contract grow 300ha of maize grain in Hawke’s Bay and 60ha of popcorn.

The Arable Farmer of the Year will be selected from the Grower of the Year winners with an Arable Hall of Fame newcomer selected by the awards committee.

Marton maize grower Simon Nitschke was the last Arable Farmer of the Year, named in 2024 when Greendale farmer Syd Worsfold joined the Hall of Fame.

The awards are hosted by Seed & Grain NZ, Foundation for Arable Research, United Wheatgrowers and Federated Farmers.

tim.cronshaw

@alliedmedia.co.nz