The 2024 BOP Ballance Farm Environment Awards Ceremony took place on 8 March at Mercury Baypark, to recognise and celebrate good farm and orchard practices that promote sustainable land and business management.
Zespri sponsor the Kiwifruit Orchard Award, which is awarded to the kiwifruit orchard that most clearly demonstrates the use of sustainable orchard practices and management. Judges focus on areas such as environmental responsibility, economic return, community awareness and the ethical management of resources including labour and orchard inputs.
This year, current BOP Committee Chair and Zespri’s Sylvia Warren opened the awards ceremony, with some inspirational words of encouragement, acknowledging how tough 2023 was for the primary sector.
Finalist Kiri Tapsell of Pūkenga Farms Maketu, represented the kiwifruit industry. Kiri grew up on Pūkenga Farms, which was previously run by his grandfather and then his parents. Under Kiri’s full-time guidance in recent years, the farm has transitioned from dairy to kiwifruit and beef. Green, SunGold, and Ruby Red kiwifruit are planted across 17ha of the property, while 80 beef breeding cows are farmed across a further 125ha.
Pūkenga Farms were the winners of the following awards.
- Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
- Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
- ZESPRI® Kiwifruit Orchard Award
With tough competition, the Bay of Plenty Supreme Winners were, Blair Linton, Linda Ellison and Robert Linton of Te Ranga Farms.
Congratulations to all award recipients from the 2024 BOP Ballance Farm Environment Awards! For the full list of winners, see here: https://nzfeawards.org.nz/2024-award-recipients-list/
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