Eastern Bay of Plenty's Hayden Purvis has made a strong showing in the national final of the Dairy Industry Awards.

The Galatea farmer placed third in the 2022 Dairy Manager of the Year.

Hayden is farm manager for Peter Overdevest and Tania Akehurst on their 148ha Galatea farm, milking 400 cows.

On finals night, the judges revealed their opinion that Hayden will be 'a great ambassador for the dairy industry, as he clearly takes pride in the assets he manages and respects the people in his team.

'The farm was clearly his happy place, he relaxed and was able to clearly articulate his passion and knowledge of all things stock and feed,” the judges say.

'We were left with no doubt about Hayden's dedication to his management role.”

The judges noted Hayden's awareness of the importance of having time off-farm to relax, and were particularly impressed with his golf handicap – seven!

Hayden values his off-farm interests, namely his wife Deborah and daughters Lucy (2) and Sophie (1) who also provide him with the motivation to get up in the morning during challenging times.

'He was also able to form credible opinions for or against different practices and shared his knowledge of regulatory requirements, both regional and national,” says Dairy Manager head judge Gray Beagley from DairyNZ.

The 2022 Dairy Manager of the Year is Jaspal Singh from Mossburn in Southland, who stood out as an immigrant who is professional, detailed, diligent and possesses a desire to succeed with a dedication to growth.

'From the moment we entered the farm gate to the time we left, we witnessed an immaculately presented farm and a polished and professional presentation which highlighted Jaspal's knowledge and sense of responsibility for the farm's management and performance,” says Dairy Manager Head Judge Gray Beagley from DairyNZ.