The winners of the 2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Industry Awards were announced at the annual awards dinner held at Ascot Hotel in Invercargill on Tuesday evening.
Scott and Stacey Mackereth are the 2026 Southland/Otago Share Farmers of the Year, with Lan Bariuad named Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year and the title of Southland/Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year awarded to Taylor Alty.
The 2026 Southland/Otago Share Farmers of the Year Scott and Stacey Mackereth are contract milking for Fortuna Group, milking 1400 cows on 464ha at Edendale.
Scott, 42, and Stacey, 40, have worked their way up through the dairy industry and have experience across multiple systems and business structures.
They wanted to enter the Dairy Industry Awards again this year to benchmark their business and challenge their thinking.
“Entering the awards reinforced to us the importance of continually developing, both operationally and as leaders.”
The couple have their eyes set on a larger-scale business with governance roles and want to follow a pathway to senior leadership and ultimately CEO-level responsibility.
“One of our key achievements has been able to build and manage large-scale, high-performing farming operations and develop strong teams.”
The judges were impressed by “the strong progression of team members into management roles, reflecting a culture of growth, learning, and exceptional leadership development”.
Scott and Stacey won a prize package worth $8,800 along with four merit awards.
Runner-up in the Southland/Otago Share Farmer category for 2026 is Chris Henderson, who won $5,500 on the night along with two merit awards.
Chris, 32, is a contact milker for the Miller Family, milking 870 cows on 360ha at Brydone.
After growing up on a dairy farm, Chris studied a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University before he got his first job on farm.
“I’ve been around farming my whole life, I love the way you can grow as a person and a business as quickly as you want to. I’m excited to see our business grow as 50/50 sharemilkers.”
Sharemilking is the next step for Chris and his wife Bec. The judges noted Chris has “outstanding business acumen through use of professional support, impressive equity growth and strategic leverage of off-farm assets”.
Third place in the Share Farmer category is Dilpreet Singh, who took home $2,500 in prizes and one merit award.
The 29-year-old is contract milker for FarmRight at South Hillend, milking 600 cows on 195ha.
The winner of the 2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year is Lan Bariuad.
The 40-year-old is farm manager for Fortuna Group Ltd at Edendale, milking 595 cows on 233ha.
After studying nursing in the Philippines, Lan started his dairy farming career in Japan where he worked for three years. He then moved to New Zealand where he has worked his way up over the past nine years.
One of the strengths and pillars of success is the team around him.
“We work together, we help each other, our communication is open and we listen to each other and give ideas how we can improve ourselves and our production.”
The judges said Lan “showed an impressive understanding of livestock management and how it fits within the whole farm system”.
It’s the first time Lan has entered the Dairy Industry Awards. He won $6,550 and two merit awards on Tuesday evening.
Runner-up in the Dairy Manager category is Callum Pilsworth who took home $4,000 in prize money and one merit award.
The 29-year-old is farm manager for Southern Sky Dairies Ltd, milking 1280 cows on 465ha.
Callum moved out to New Zealand from the UK for what was only “supposed to be a year”, and nine years later is farming with a wife and two children.
The couple have purchased a lifestyle property in Lumsden to build equity by rearing calves and stock trading. The ultimate goal is to buy a dairy farm or a young stock block.
Third place in the Southland/Otago Dairy Manager is Bradley Ray, who won $3,000 and two merit awards.
Bradley is farm manager for Paul and Nicole Roberts, milking 1150 cows on 445ha on their farm at Glencoe.
Winner of the Southland/Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year is Taylor Alty, farm assistant for Caleb and Paula Hamill at Dunearn 470 cows on 165ha.
Taylor, 22, won $5,500 and one merit award on Tuesday evening.
Taylor grew up on a dairy farm near Riverton and growing up she was keen to be working out on farm and relief milking as soon as she could.
She studied a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University then travelled to Wales to work on a dairy farm before moving back to New Zealand.
“Growing up on a dairy farm meant I have always had a passion for the industry so that seemed right to follow what my parents had taught me.”
Her goal is farm ownership by surrounding herself with open-minded farmers who are willing to share their knowledge.
The judges said “Taylor demonstrated strong general farming knowledge and a good understanding of feed budgeting to meet requirements”.
Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category is Amy Gouldthorpe. Amy took home a prize package worth $3,000.
The 25-year-old is a farm assistant for Kate and Scott Burgess, milking 620 cows on 219ha in Gore.
Amy is a fifth generation sheep and pig farmer from the UK who had never milked a cow before she ventured out to New Zealand on a working holiday.
“Farming in New Zealand was a whole new ball game and I loved it. After a short holiday back home I came straight back to keep dairy farming.”
She has a Bachelor in Science with Honours Degree in Agriculture and a Diploma in Agriculture to her name and wants to continue farming in New Zealand.
“I’m looking forward to the future in this country and this industry – I’m eager to get started and build up my career.”
Third place in the Southland/Otago Dairy Trainee is Samantha Withers.
Samantha, 23, is farm assistant for Steve and Tracy Henderson on Calder Steward Ltd farm in Southland, milking 830 cows on 310ha. She won $2,000 along with one merit award.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors ASB, CowManager, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Honda, LIC, Power Farming and Trelleborg, along with industry partners Fonterra, DairyNZ, and The Country.
The Southland/Otago Dairy Industry Awards Field Day will be held on 9 April at 10.30am, 218 Ota Creek Road, RD3 Edendale, 9893. Fonterra S/N 32245.
Results of the 2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Industry Awards:
2026 Southland/Otago Share Farmer of the Year
Winner – Scott & Stacey Mackereth
Runner-up – Chris Henderson
Third – Dilpreet Singh
2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year
Winner – Lan Bariuad
Runner Up – Callum Pilsworth
Third – Bradley Ray
2026 Southland/Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year
Winner – Taylor Alty
Runner-Up – Amy Gouldthorpe
Third – Samantha Withers
Share Farmer Merit Awards:
· DairyNZ - People & Culture Award Scott & Stacey Mackereth
· Ecolab Total Farm Hygiene & Innovation Award Dilpreet Singh
· Federated Farmers Leadership Award Chathura Vidyarathna
· Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award Scott & Stacey Mackereth
· LIC - Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity Award Chris Henderson
· Landpro Environmental Sustainability Award Scott & Stacey Mackereth
· Trelleborg Sustainable Pasture Award Scott & Stacey Mackereth
· ASB Business Performance Award Chris Henderson
· McIntyre Dick Emerging Talent Award Gurpreet Singh
Dairy Manager Merit
· CowManager Livestock Management Award Lan Bariuad
· Fonterra Dairy Management Award Bradley Ray
· DeLaval Pasture & Feed Management Award Lan Bariuad
· MPI Sustainable Farming - Environmental Award Callum Pilsworth
· Dairy Training Limited People & Leadership Award Toria Cummings
· Milestone Group Personal Planning & Financial Management Award Bradley Ray
· Fortuna Group Emerging Talent Award Jack Pow
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
· DairyNZ Practical Skills Award Erin Harland Christie
· Regional Ford Emerging Talent Award Bailey Bennett
· Dairy Holdings Ltd Farming Knowledge Award Taylor Alty
Forsyth Barr Communication & Industry Involvement Award Samantha Withers
