The Institute, which will announce the winner alongside Farmax at its national conference on Monday August 8, is helping Farmax organise the awards and chairing the judging panel.
The organisers of the award are broadening the criteria for the Consultant of the Year awards making it possible for any rural professionals to enter the awards alongside farm consultants.
The Institute’s chief executive, Stephen Macaulay, said the awards recognised excellence in the community of rural professionals and promoted the value and expertise the rural profession provided to their farming clients.
“Farm consultants and rural professionals have an important role in the provision of professional advice and services to the farming community in lifting profitability and efficiency onfarm in a sustainable manner, more so given the challenges faced in the dairy industry at the moment,” Macaulay said.
Farmax general manager Gavin McEwen said: “We felt it was a no-brainer to partner with the Institute for these awards. The target market of the now widened criteria aligns perfectly with the Institute’s membership base.
“Through the Institute’s networks we’re hoping to reach a wider base of rural professionals. The Institute’s involvement extends to chairing the judging, lending their independence to the process and helping design the nomination process. This year’s awards will involve more one-on-one communication with the nominees, giving them the opportunity to personally demonstrate their distinction in their respective fields.”
Nominations for the fourth Farmax Consultant of the Year awards are about to open.
“The respective sheep and beef and dairy awards will be open to any rural professionals providing professional advice or consultancy to NZ farmers. This may be a farm consultant, a bank manager, a scientist, a sales rep, an industry trainer or any other individual that can demonstrate the make a positive impact on NZ farmers’ business and the industry through their work,” McEwen said.
The nation’s best rural professionals will be eligible for the Beef + Lamb NZ’s Sheep and Beef Consultant of the Year, DairyNZ’s Dairy Consultant of the Year and the NZIPIM Emerging Rural Professional of the Year.
The prize package includes a Microsoft Surface tablet personal computer, and funding that can go toward professional development to help fund such areas as an overseas conference, professional development course or project work. How the nominees intend to use the funds will be considered as part of the judging process
Rural professionals do not have to be Farmax users to qualify, and are encouraged to nominate themselves.
Winners will be announced at the NZIPIM national conference at Rydges, Rotorua, on August 8.
Last year’s awards were won by Sully Alsop of Baker and Associates in Masterton and Phil Journeaux and Lycinda Lett of AgFirst’s Waikato office in Hamilton.
From May 2, award nomination forms can be downloaded from the Farmax website at www.farmax.co.nz. Applications open on May 2 and close on July 1.
