Excellence in Farming Technology from SA's South East
Lachlan Seears from Flow region Conmurra has been awarded the Excellence in Technology Award at the annual Farmer of the Year presentations at Parliament House.
One of eight national award winners recognised for significant contribution to the agriculture sector, Member for Barker Tony Pasin was particularly proud of the Barker resident.
“The 2017 Kondinin Group Award for Excellence in Technology was awarded to Lachie as part of the Australian Farmer of the Year Awards for 2017 in recognition of his hard work and dedication to the sector and community,” Mr Pasin said.
Lachlan, a mixed farmer in the South East, has taken a traditional grazing operation and turned it into a value-adding irrigation, fodder and food crop enterprise.
Managing nearly 3000 hectares, Lachie uses Control Traffic Farming, tramline marking and auto-steer GPS, Electronic Identification (EID) on sheep plus an auto weigh/drafting machine, with his on-farm grain storage facility able to store more than 6,200 tonnes of grain.
“This is a great example of ingenuity and leadership in the farm sector, which not only helps to secure a profitable future for their business and others in our regional communities but also provides inspiration for others in the sector,” Mr Pasin said.
“That’s not only good for the farm and the immediate community, it’s good for the nation’s economic bottom line.
“It’s the thousands of family run farms that make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy and they deserve the recognition awards like this provide," he said.
Australian Farmer of the Year award winners for 2017:
Australian Farmer of the Year: Andrew Bulmer, Victoria
Young Farmer of the Year: Jason Smith, Victoria
Farming Legend of the Year: John Bennett, Tasmania
Rural Community Leader of the Year Award: Kristy Sparrow, Queensland
Rural Consultant of the Year: Greg Mills, New South Wales
Excellence in Innovation: Rob Cook, Queensland
Excellence in Technology: Lachlan Seears, South Australia
Excellence in Diversification: James Walker, Queensland