Invercargill is to host next year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
About to enter its 57th year, the flagship contest series will start with district contest competitions in October 2024, with up to 200 young farmers battling it out for a shot at rural stardom.
Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said next year’s Grand Final (July 3-5) will be the culmination of many months’ hard work for New Zealand’s rising stars of agriculture.
“After proving themselves at a district level, contestants will then need to go head-to-head against the best in their region. Only those who top their field will qualify for a spot on the national stage,” said Coppersmith.
“By that point, they will have put their blood, sweat and tears into it. Just making it to the Grand Final is an enormous feat, with only seven national finalists selected from across the country.”
Fourteen FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams will also compete for a national title, along with 21 AgriKidsNZ teams from across Aotearoa.
Grand Final 2025 convenor and Otago/Southland Young Farmers representative Emma Wilson said she’s proud to be part of showcasing Southland’s unique farming flavour to the rest of the country.
“We’ve got a lot of different industries in one small pocket – from vineyards to sheep, beef and dairy. There’s even tulip farming. Our secret is that we have so many different climate and soil pockets, so we’re lucky in that regard,” she said.
“There’ll be a few Otago Southland young farmers gunning hard to try and get that home Grand Final because farming is a big part of our identity down here. We have deep-rooted knowledge passed down through generations, but we’re also innovators with a practical ‘No 8 wire’ mentality – I’m excited to see what this year’s competitors have in store.”
Season 57 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday September 2, and entries for FMG Junior and AgriKids will open Monday October 21 on the New Zealand Young Farmers’ website.
