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.
Tim Dangen has secured himself the final spot at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final for Season 54.
Danger, a 29-year-old beef farmer and calf rearer in Muriwai, was announced as the winner of the Northern FMG Young Farmer of the Year on Saturday night after a full day of challenges.
Following closely in the runner-up position was Lisa Kendall and in third place, Sam Waugh, both members of Franklin Young Farmers.
Dangen says he was rapt to take the win after putting in a lot of preparation in the lead-up to the event.
“It’s always bugged me a bit coming second in the previous three Regional Finals,” he says. “It’s nice to go one better and the hard work has paid off.”
In the lead-up to the Grand Final in July, Dangen says he will be calling on his support networks to help him prepare, including fellow Grand Finalist and brother-in-law, Chris Poole, who took out the Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year at the beginning of March.
“It will be a bit of fun, we will try and lean on each other’s strengths and help each other out,” he says.
Upon receiving the award at the evening show, Tim, an Auckland Young Farmers member, was extremely appreciative of the volunteers and committees behind the scenes.
“A huge thanks to the team of sponsors that make it all happen, without you the Contest can’t happen, and it’s such a vital part of the primary industries. It’s great to be out doing something like this with a bunch of great people!” he said.
The contest is based on four pillars – agri-skills, agri-business, agri-sports and agri-knowledge.
The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Contest Series is sponsored by FMG, Ravensdown, Worksafe, MPI, Environmental Protection Authority, STIHL, Massey University, Lincoln University, New Holland and PTS Logistics.
Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says while it's still early days in terms of the kiwifruit harvest, things are looking pretty good.
Major New Zealand fresh produce grower is tapping AI to manage weeds on one of its farms.
With arable farmers heading into the busy planting season, increasing fuel and fertiliser prices, driven by the Iranian conflict, are a daily and ongoing concern.
OPINION: After two long years of hardship, things are looking up for New Zealand red meat farmers.
A casualty of the storm that hit the Bay of Plenty recently was the cancelation of a field day at a leading Māori kiwifruit orchard at Te Puke.
Some arable farmers are getting out of arable and converting to dairy in the faced of soaring fuel and fertiliser prices on top of a very poor growing season.

OPINION: If you ask this old mutt, the choice at the next election isn't shaping up as a contest of…
OPINION: A mate of yours says we're long overdue for a reckoning on what value farmers really get for the…