The New Zealand Groundspread Fertilisers Association (NZGFA) says this year’s awards scheme is still on track, enabling the industry to continue to celebrate its heroes.
While changes have had to be made around how award winners are presented with their trophies, due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the Association felt that cancelling the 2020 awards was not an option.
Graeme Martin, NZGFA Vice President, explains that the suite of four awards – Innovation, Health & Safety, Young Achiever’s and President’s – are uplifting, motivational and recognise the personal and professional contributions made by individuals within the ground spreading industry.
“Throughout lockdown, ground spreaders have been working flat out to ensure farmers have been in a position to grow enough pasture for winter feed for their stock. Given the extra pressures of COVID-19 directives and additional demands for nutrients to be placed as fast as possible, these awards offer a tonic to the crazy times we’ve all been experiencing. As such, it was decided that, despite the difficulty, it was really important that they go ahead.”
Mr Martin adds that the awards provide an opportunity to introduce the people and personalities behind ground spreading and that they instill a sense of pride across the industry, as well as reflect the levels of professionalism upheld within the sector.
“Ground spreading is a vital service industry to the nation’s food production channels, yet the nature of our work – which is typically solitary – means we often fly under the radar when it comes to recognising the professional standards our nutrient placement operators adhere to and the extraordinary efforts they make. Our award scheme helps raise awareness of the job we do, and how well we do it.”
The NZGFA awards were launched last year as a new segment to the group’s annual conference. With this year’s conference now postponed until 2021, the awards ceremony will be replaced with video links to the winners. Category finalists and winners will be announced in July.
For more information about the 2020 NZGFA awards and to download a nomination form visit – www.nzgfa.co.nz/awards. Nominations must be in by 5:00pm on Monday 1 June 2020.
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Further information:
Graeme Martin, NZGFA Vice-President, 027 293 6407 – graemem@wealleans.co.nz
Lisa Carruthers, NZGFA Communications, 021 122 0364 – lisa.looppr@gmail.com