Latest news with #FMGYoungFarmeroftheYearGrandFinal
Scoop
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
FMG Young Farmer Of The Year Grand Final Returns To Taranaki For 2026
It's been a long time coming, but the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is returning to the Naki for Season 58. Taranaki will play host to the most prestigious annual contest in the food and fibre sector, taking place in New Plymouth from 2–4 July 2026. The contest series kicks off in October 2025 with District Contests held across the country, from Otago/Southland right to the Far North. Over 200 competitors will battle it out across the country to secure their spot in a Regional Final where they will then have a shot at a spot for the Grand Final. Young Farmers Chief Executive Cheyne Gillooly is excited to see the Grand Final heading back to the Taranaki-Manawatu region, a stunning part of the country with a proud history of agricultural excellence. The Grand Final event showcases the very best of farming talent in New Zealand and knows the finalists will have worked hard and overcome many obstacles to get there. 'Contestants will have earned their right to compete at the Grand Final by emerging victorious from challenging district and regional competitions. The contestants are tested against all of the disciplines required to be successful in today's modern farming environment. I know the seven finalists will be proud to represent their regions as they attempt to lift the trophy on the night and prove once and for all that they are the best of the best. ' Alongside the Grand Finalists, 14 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams and 21 AgriKidsNZ teams will also compete for their respective national titles in New Plymouth. Grand Final 2026 convenors Emma Northcott (South Taranaki Young Farmers) and Sarah Avery (Inglewood Young Farmers) are also thrilled the big event is coming to their home region. 'Having Grand Final here is exciting, we get to showcase what Young Farmers is about and how far it's come,' says Emma. She notes Taranaki's strong Young Farmers history: 'Our region is made up of many close-knit communities, and we often hear stories from members about their time in Young Farmers. This event will give some the chance to relive those fond memories, and we know the community will get behind us to make it a great event.' Emma and Sarah are no strangers to the competition, having convened the Season 57 (2025) Taranaki–Manawatū Regional Final. 'We've got great ideas and can't wait to put our own spin on Grand Final, with the support of locals,' says Sarah. 'We're looking forward to seeing what the Season 58 Grand Finalists bring to the competition.' New Plymouth has already hosted some major events in the past year, including WOMAD, Summer Feastival, and the NZ Tattoo & Arts Festival. Having the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in this line up, really showcases the variety that the region has to offer. 'Taranaki's diversity means variety and that always makes for a great competition,' says Avery. Any final words before we kick into the new season? 'The competition gets tougher every year, and this season will be no different. It's hard work but worth it in the end.' Season 58 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday 1 September 2025, and entries for FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year and AgriKidsNZ will open Monday 13 October 2025. The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest series is made possible thanks to its family of sponsors: FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, PTS Logistics, New Holland, and Bushbuck.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Action taken on farm conversions
Good news for Gore with the government ending the large-scale conversion of productive farmland into carbon-only forestry. Pre-election I was National's forestry spokesman, and in response to local and national concerns I helped shape the policy we took to the election to restrict good farming land being converted into carbon forestry, while noting the continuing importance of production forestry to our economy. National was the only party to take this policy to the election and we have delivered on it. The first reading in Parliament attracted unanimous support from all political parties. Importantly this legislation will be backdated to the Prime Minister's announcement at Waimumu on December 4, 2024. Last week, I was pleased to see so many from the Gore community come to hear Associate Health Minister with responsibility for rural health and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey, in town for the rural health roadshow. This was an opportunity to hear feedback from the community and those working in rural health about what's going well and where barriers may be. It builds on initiatives already under way to improve rural healthcare services. The government is investing $164 million over four years to strengthen urgent and after-hours care nationwide, meaning 98% of Kiwis will be able to access these services within one hour's drive of their home. We are improving access to mental health support, recently announcing $3m over four years to help improve rural communities' access to primary mental health and specialised services. The government is also doubling its investment in the Rural Wellbeing Fund over the next four years. For GPs, the government has confirmed the largest funding boost for general practice in our country's history — $175m this year alone — part of a $1.37 billion package focused on delivering timely care closer to home. This includes a funding increase for GP clinics to help them see more patients and ease wait times and provides support for low-income families and under-14s. It was also great to be down the road in Invercargill last weekend for the Season 57 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final. What a fantastic celebration of our rural community and congratulations to everyone who took part and helped make it happen. Well done to Otago Southland Regional Young Farmers for a very well-run event, and to Balfour Young Farmers for winning club of the year. You did our region proud.
