FMG Your Farm of the Year Grand Final - Invercargill, Southland

Thursday 3 - Saturday 5 July 2025 | Venue TBC

Season 57 registrations will open for FMG Young Farmer 10am, Monday 2 September 2024, and FMG Junior and AgriKidsNZ registrations will open 10am, Monday 21 October 2024

Invercargill will host top national farming competition the FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final, in 2025.

The contest started with district competitions in October, where up to 200 young farmers competed for a shot at rural stardom.

After another round of competition, the top candidates qualified for a spot in July’s grand final, Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said.

“By that point, they will have put their blood, sweat and tears into it.

The challenges finalists would face were kept secret until the day of the event. Pictured are the finalists from 2023 competition, held in Hamilton.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / Stuff

“Just making it to the grand final is an enormous feat, with only seven national finalists selected from across the country.”

There would also be 14 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams competing for a national title, and 21 AgriKidsNZ teams from across Aotearoa.

The challenges finalists would face were kept secret until the day of the event, she said.

“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.”

Young farmers showcase skills in competition for top title in Hamilton

Grand final 2025 convenor and Otago/Southland Young Farmers representative Emma Wilson said she was 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,” Wilson said.

Entries to the new season competition open on September 2 for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year, and October 21 for FMG Junior and AgriKids.

Story supplied by The Southland Times