Tasmanian Dairy Awards: Top Dairy Farmers Recognized for Excellence
Tasmania's top dairy farmers were recognized for their impressive business management and leadership in the industry, as finalists for the 2025 ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award and the 2025 Fonterra Share Dairy Farmer of the Year Award were announced. The recipients will be honored at the 2025 Tasmanian Dairy Conference in Launceston on 27 March.
These awards, hosted by DairyTas and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), celebrate innovation and resilience within the state's dairy sector. Lesley Irvine, a TIA Dairy Extension Officer and one of the judges, highlights that award finalists showcase excellence in various aspects of dairy management including profitability, safety, and environmental practices.
Symon Jones, TIA's Senior Dairy Development and Extension Officer, emphasized the role of share farmers, who are essential in managing day-to-day operations and offer pathways for operating within larger farm structures. This strategic management is integral to farm profitability and the health and welfare of cattle."The finalists in the 2025 ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award are selected from participants in the dairy benchmarking program based on financial data. These businesses are achieving a high level of farm profitability and it is always exciting to visit each business as part of the judging process to learn how they are able to do this," Ms. Irvine said.
Finalists for the 2025 ANZ Dairy Business of the Year Award include Clear Springs (managed by Tim and Fiona Salter), Juniper Lea (managed by Luke Davey-Baldock), and Lirra Lirra (managed by Jason Moore). The 2025 Fonterra Share Dairy Farmer of the Year Award finalists are Olivia (Liv) Heger, Mercede and Aaron Kay, and Ryan and Brighid Langley."Share farming plays a key role in the Tasmanian dairy industry, providing highly skilled labour for both family and corporate dairy farming businesses. Share farmers take on the day-to-day management of the dairy farm and in return provide themselves with a pathway to operate their own business within the larger farm business structure," Mr. Jones said.
