Top young farmer eyes sharemilking job
The 2024 FMG Young Farmer of the Year George Dodson is hoping that the win is a stepping stone to his dream job of sharemilking next season.
A mate of the Hound reckons the outcome of this year’s Young Farmer of the Year contest should be a real concern to New Zealand’s Young Farmers and the annual competition itself.
This year’s winner – the youngest ever in the competition’s history – is not a farmer, but a Fonterra marketing executive in Auckland.
Neither were the runner-up or third place winners farmers.
They were, respectively, a technical field rep and a vet.
Says this old mutt’s concerned source: the fact that none of the winners actually endure the real, daily rigours of farming makes the title of the contest – perhaps the event itself – somewhat questionable.
Last month's Agritechnica event led to a wide group of manufacturers celebrating successes when the 2026 Tractor of the Year Competition winners, selected by a panel of European journalists, were announced in Hanover Germany.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.

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