Projects, teams and innovations as diverse as low methane-emitting sheep, a constructed wetlands uptake campaign, and a foodbank fruit and vegetable box initiative during the Covid lockdown are among finalists for the nation's premier primary industries awards.

Three finalists in each of eight categories have been selected by independent judges for the 2022 Primary Industries NZ Awards, to be presented in Auckland on July 6 as part of the two-day PINZ Summit.

"With Covid, supply chain and workforce disruption, inflation and all the other challenges going on, one might have thought nominating primary industry heroes for awards could slip as a priority," says Federated Farmers Chief Executive Terry Copeland.

"Not so. There were 61 nominations for these fourth annual awards, just a few shy of the 2021 total. Clearly there are many others like Federated Farmers, and our Summit partner Brightstar Events, who recognise the value of celebrating and honouring the leaders and rising stars among our food and fibre producers."

Feds is delighted that judges have named Federated Farmers national board member Chris Lewis as one of the three Primary Industries Champion Award finalists.

Chris has been a tireless champion of the dairy industry through his various roles.

Alongside running a large dairy and beef operation in the Waikato and family commitments, Chris has represented the Feds Waikato province as the provincial president and then served on the national board as both Dairy Chair and then Immigration and Employment Spokesperson.

These roles have been pivotal to both the Waikato province and Federated Farmers and his efforts for the wider dairy industry have seen Chris give his all to better the industry and raise employment and work standards for both employees and employers alike.

A former Federated Farmers policy advisor is a finalist for the Emerging Leader Award.

Horowhenua farmer Kristy McGregor has worked hard to highlight the vital role of women in agriculture, initially by organising an exhibition in her district to tell the stories of 20 rural women, and then founding and successfully running Shepherdess magazine, which is distributed nationally.

Former Federated Farmers national president Bruce Wills, a man who has held - or still holds - multiple conservation and producer board roles, is a finalist for the Outstanding Contribution to Primary Industries NZ award with NZ Farm Environment Trust Chair Joanne van Polanen and AgResearch Principal Scientist Professor Stewart Ledgard.

The full list of finalists for the 2022 Primary Industries NZ Awards is:

Emerging Leader Award (sponsor Lincoln University)

- Kariappa Karumbaiah, Engineering Manager & Research and Design, Hydroxsys NZ

- Kristy McGregor, Founder, Editor & Publisher, Shepherdess Magazine

- Quinn Morgan, Dairy Farmer, Pāmu (Landcorp)

Producer Award (sponsor Kotahi):

- Sanford Big Glory Bay

- MilktechNZ

- NIG Nutritionals

Innovation & Collaboration Project Award (sponsor Asure Quality Kaitiaki Kai):

- Farmstrong (Live Well Farm Well Project)

- NIWA(DairyNZ INTERCEPTOR Project)

- Bremworth Ltd (Science & Research Sustainability Programme)

Science & Research Award (sponsor Yashili NZ)

- Cawthron(Musseling Up)

- AgResearch(Breeding Low Methane-Emitting Sheep Team)

- LIC Science(LIC bull genetics drives breeding efficiency in NZ dairy herd)

Team Award (sponsor BASF):

- United Fresh New Zealand Incorporated (Foodbank Fruit & Vegetable Box Project during COVID-19 Lockdowns)

- New Zealand National Fieldays Society (The Fieldays Health and Wellbeing Hub)

- DCANZ (Biosecurity Business Pledge Steering Group)

Guardianship and Conservation/Kaitiakitanga Award (sponsor Rabobank):

- Myrtle Rust Consortium: Plant & Food Research

- Manawatu River Leaders Accord: Danielle Harris and Rachel Keedwell

- Smarter Filtration for a World of Clean Water - Hydroxsys NZ Team

Outstanding Contribution of Primary Industries NZ (sponsor AgResearch):

- Bruce Wills, Board Chair, Apiculture New Zealand

- Joanne van Polanen, Chair, New Zealand Farm Environment Trust

- Prof Stewart Ledgard, Principal Scientist, AgResearch

Champion Award (sponsor Norwood)

- Chris Lewis, National Board Member, Federated Farmers of New Zealand

- Marie McDonald, Quality Assurance Manager, Sanford

- John Hill (posthumous), General Manager, New Zealand Mānuka Group