Rural journalists recognised at annual awards

Three Allied Press journalists were recognised at the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators annual awards in Wellington on Friday night.

Business and rural editor Sally Rae was named joint runner-up in the Ministry for Primary Industries Rongo Award, the top award recognising excellence in agricultural journalism, for the Otago Daily Times-Rural Life Year of the Farmer initiative which celebrated the South Island’s food and fibre producing champions.

Central Rural Life reporter Tim Cronshaw won the Beef + Lamb New Zealand hard news award for stories about high country farmers going to great lengths to prove they were not solely to blame for lowering water quality, and farmers sending triplet-bearing ewes for slaughter in a drastic move because of drought.

Southern Rural Life reporter Shawn McAvinue received the Alliance Group red meat industry journalism award for two stories about southern families selling their sheep and beef farms to forestry companies.

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