The country’s most prestigious annual farming contest is making its way south, with Invercargill securing hosting rights for 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 says next year’s Grand Final (July 3rd – 5th) 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,” says 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. 

“It takes a lot of preparation, made harder by the fact that the challenges are kept top secret until the day of the event, so our young farmers really have to work hard to sharpen their skills and improve their farming knowledge as broadly as possible.  It’s a quest for the ultimate farming all-rounder.” 

2025 Grand Final convenor and Otago/Southland Young Farmers representative Emma Wilson says 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,” says Wilson. 

Wilson says she’s expecting this year to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.  

“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 ‘number eight wire’ mentality – I’m excited to see what this year’s competitors have in store.”  

Emma Wilson, Dunedin Young Farmers Member and Season 57 Grand Final Convenor.

Season 57 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday 2 September 2024, and entries for FMG Junior and AgriKids will open Monday 21 October 2024. 

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest series would not be possible without its family of sponsors: FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, Massey University, PTS Logistics, New Holland and Bushbuck.