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Young Farmers Pave The Way For The Future Of Farming

New Zealand’s top Young Farmers are out to challenge industry stereotypes, with preparations well underway for the Season 55 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Regional Finals.

Last year, 160 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) members battled it out over 11 District Contests between October and December to be named as the top contenders who will soon compete in FMG’s Young Farmer of the Year Regional Finals.

There are seven Regional Finals running across Aotearoa between February and April this year. No competition will be the same, with eight contestants at each event vying for a spot in the Grand Final.

Up for grabs is around $70,000 worth of prizes, thanks to the Contest’s sponsor family, and the prestigious title of FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

Now in its 55th season, the competition boasts a strong track record of showcasing the very best talent and skills New Zealand’s food and fibre sector has to offer.

New Zealand Young Farmers Board Chair Jessie Waites says the competition continues to evolve, attracting a diverse mix of farmers including female talent.

This season around 45% of competitors gave it a go for the first time, and 40% were female.

“It’s amazing to see the new generation coming through. There’s so much happening in the primary sector right now with science, innovation, and new technologies. The skills being demonstrated by these contestants are proof that there is much more to farming than some may think,” says Waite.

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Each Regional Final will decide who will be competing at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final, to be held in Timaru in July 2023.

Two NZYF Regions, Northern and the Waikato Bay of Plenty, will be trialling a new Contest format. These will be two-day events, with day one resembling the traditional District Contest and day two aligning more closely with a Regional Final.

The end goal remains the same – to find the region’s best contestant to represent them as Grand Finalists, says NZYF Chief Executive, Lynda Coppersmith.

“We know that FMG Young Farmer of the Year is a long season normally and it puts a lot of pressure on our member volunteers to deliver a lot of events.”

“We’re trialling this to look at ways that we can still find New Zealand’s best Young Farmer, but in a way that is potentially more streamlined.”

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Contest is proudly supported by FMG, Ravensdown, WorkSafe, Environmental Protection Authority, Ministry for Primary Industries, Honda, Lincoln University, Massey University, PTS Logistics, New Holland, STIHL and Bushbuck.

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