ACC backs young farmers with FMG Young Farmer of the Year partnership
The Government has announced that ACC will be a sponsor of this year's FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.
Around 800 people are getting ready to head to Whangārei for the three-day FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
Held from 7 to 9 July, seven FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Finalists, 28 FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competitors and 63 AgriKidsNZ competitors from across the country will battle it out for their respective national titles.
They are the top contestants from their regions, having qualified in Regional Finals held earlier this year. Senior competitors had to qualify for the Regional Finals through District Contests held in September last year.
Alongside the Grand Final, the New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) Tournament Series finals will bring in 47 competitors plus judges (seven fencing teams competing in pairs, 20 Stock Judges and 13 Clay target shooters).
The Final marks the biggest event series in the NZYF calendar.
Grand Final convener Natalie Lynch says the team is looking forward to showcasing the best of Northland’s agriculture industry and showing off the region to the NZYF community.
"We've kept two things at the forefront of our minds when planning and that was wanting to challenge our contestants to show what they're made of in terms of their agricultural skills, but we also want a spectacle. We want it to be awesome to watch for everyone, regardless of their experience within the sector," Lynch says.
She says everything will have a bit of a ‘Northland flavour’ this year.
"A lot of people involved in Northland's sector are wearers of many hats, so there will be no straight farming skillset required on the day. There will be lots of different challenges contestants will have to face that relate to our industry, not exclusively on-farm."
"We really encourage everyone to come down and watch, there truly be something for everyone. We can't wait to showcase the best and brightest of Young Farmers and Whangārei."
Paynes Titus Excelsior ET, an LIC bull bred by Brad Payne and Claire Brodie in the Waikato, has won the JT Thwaites Sire of the Season 2026 Award.
South Canterbury farmer Colin Hurst has been elected as the new president of Federated Farmers.
Dairy continues to be the mainstay of the country's primary export earnings.
China remains New Zealand’s biggest market, taking $23 billion of our exports, but it’s no longer a commodity story, says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
For Jane Smith, becoming a Ravensdown director has been a way she can actively contribute to something quite personal to her - protecting and strengthening a co-operative she deeply believes in.
Lactalis New Zealand has opened a new distribution centre in Christchurch, marking a significant investment in the company's South Island supply chain capability.

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