This year's winners of the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards are heading dairy farming operations that focus on sustainability, efficiency and profitability.

Bobby and Jade Millner were named 2016 Waikato Share Farmers of the Year, Leyton Evans became the 2016 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year and Chris Ferguson the 2016 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Bobby and Jade Millner.

Bobby and Jade Millner aim to operate a sustainable, profitable and compliant dairy farm business that benefits all parties.

'One of our strengths is our focus on low cost pasture first, as well as operating a sustainable and profitable business.”

The couple, aged 27 and 26, are in their third season 50 per cent sharemilking 265 cows for Jim and Judy Barrett at Morrinsville.

'Our strengths complement each other well and we take charge of our own areas while still consulting one another,” they say.

Bobby takes charge of livestock, farm environment, dairy hygiene, and health and safety while Jade – who will complete a Bachelor of Business majoring in accounting this year – is responsible for pasture, financials, human resources and calf rearing.

It's the first time they had entered the awards, doing so to raise their profile, create a point of difference and gain feedback on how they can improve their systems and business.

Their goal is to progress to a larger sharemilking position in the next year.

'We want to build enough equity to allow us to be in the position to enter into an equity partnership or land ownership within 10 years.”

The runners-up in the Share Farmer competition are Ben and Lizzy Moore, 29 and 33, who have a 30 per cent farm equity and lessee position at Tirau.

Te Awamutu 50 per cent sharemilkers Shaun Good and Michelle Adam, 28 and, placed third.

The 2016 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, Leyton Evans, enjoys the co-operative nature and efficient farming system of the dairy property he is managing.

'As we run an efficient system it keeps everyone aware of what needs to be achieved and keeps everything on track.”

Leyton is a farm manager on Graeme and Rebecca Davison's 685-cow farm on the outskirts of Hamilton city. He won four merit awards for financial planning, and farm and livestock management.

He says the farm is one of three that are part of Moeraki Farms.

'I believe this is a strength, as it creates a co-operative working team environment which makes it an enjoyable place to work.”

He has been in the industry about 10 years in a range of roles and has also spent four years working on a Welsh dairy farm operating a New Zealand-based farming system.

'My ambitions are to go 50 per cent sharemilking 250 cows in 2017 and within three years progress to a larger sharemilking position and then on to farm ownership.”

Cambridge farm managers Brett Bradshaw, 29, and Aaron Collins, 27, were second and third in the Dairy Manager competition.

The 2016 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year, Chris Ferguson, was encouraged to enter the competition for the first time by his boss, a Primary ITO tutor and training adviser.

'I thought it would be a really beneficial experience, that it would be good for networking and good for future employment opportunities.”

The 20-year-old is second-in-charge on Alan Rogers' Otorohanga farm milking 600 cows.

He has a farming background and left school in Year 13 to go fulltime dairy farming and has quickly progressed. He is in his third season and is training to become the farm's manager.

His goals are to continue progressing in the industry through contract milking and herd ownership to farm ownership.

Te Aroha farm assistant Joe Phillips, 23, placed second in the Dairy Trainee competition, and Taupiri farm assistant Casey Meiklejohn, 22, was third.

The Waikato Dairy Industry Awards field day will be held on April 6 on the Morrinsville farm where Share Farmers of the Year, Bobby and Jade Millner, sharemilk.

Share Farmer Merit Awards: • DairyNZ Human Resources Award – David Hopkins & Lisa Litton • Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Bobby & Jade Millner • Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Ben & Lizzy Moore • Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Paul & Kate Manion • LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Shaun Good & Michelle Adam • Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Ben & Lizzy Moore • Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Ben & Lizzy Moore • Westpac Business Performance Award – Bobby & Jade Millner

Dairy Manager Merit Awards: • Waikato DIA Committee Most Promising Entrant Award – Joe Kehely • FarmRight Employee Engagement Award – Brett Bradshaw • Waikato Federated Farmers Charitable Society Leadership Award – Caitlin Bennett • Fonterra Farm Source Feed Management Award – Brett Bradshaw • DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Leyton Evans • Primary ITO Power Play Award – Leyton Evans • Fonterra Farm Source Farm Management Award – Leyton Evans • Westpac Financial Management & Planning Award – Leyton Evans

Dairy Trainee Merit Awards: • Abacus Group Most Promising Entrant Award – Andrew Wards • I.S. Dam Lining Ltd Farming Knowledge Award – Casey Meiklejohn • BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Community & Industry Involvement Award – Andrew Wards • DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Chris Ferguson