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On the back of winning the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand (RAS) rural young achiever award, New Zealand Young Farmer member Tim van de Molen was announced as the Australasian rural youth ambassador in the finals at the Darwin Royal Showgrounds last week.
Van de Molen, co-founder of the Hamilton Young Farmers Club and 2011 runner up at The National Bank Young Farmer Contest was "thrilled and overwhelmed" by the win.
This is a historic win for New Zealand as it is the first time a kiwi has won the award in only the second year the competition has been extended across the Tasman.
He was expecting tough competition against six competitors from Australian states and territories "all the finalists have achieved incredible things in their career so far" says the 29-year-old agribusiness manager for ANZ.
New Zealand Young Farmers network manager Sara Russell and one of three judges for the New Zealand Rural Young Achiever award says "we are over the moon with Tim's win over the Aussies in the Rural Ambassador competition.
"The award which selects the New Zealand representative for the Rural Ambassador competition was fiercely contested this year. Tim was a great choice and proved to be the right man for the job."
Once in Darwin van de Molen was put to the test in a gruelling process which included an interview with questions on goals, ambitions and community involvement as well as delivering a speech.
The candidates were asked their views on the live export trade and a "range of questions on industry involvement which was challenging as questions were tailored towards agriculture in Australia; however I had prepared for that" says van de Molen.
Waikato based van de Molen noted the biggest difference between competing at international level in comparison to the national level was the "calibre of contestants and the knowledge they have within the industry."
As part of the prize package he receives a $5000 travel grant to further his agricultural interests and has indicated Canada or the United Kingdom as a place of interest.
It's reported that just over 100,000 people attended this year's four day National Fieldays at Mystery Creek near Hamilton. As expected, the number of people attednign the event and exhibitors was well down on pre-Covid numbers and, according to reporter Peter Burke who first attended the event in 1981, this year was quite different.
Around 800 people are getting ready to head to Whangārei for the three-day FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
Calving is in full swing at an Auckland dairy farm owned by NZ Young Farmers (NZYF).
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
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