FMG Young Farmer of the Year district contests kick off

Joseph Watts competing in the 2020 FMG Young Farmer of the Year East Coast regional final before the season cancellation.

Excitement is building as the qualifying rounds of the 2021 FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest begin, with the first competitions having been held on Saturday, October 3.

Sixteen district contests will be run throughout October and November to select the eight finalists for each region, who will move through to the seven regional finals early next year.

It's unfinished business for many of the competitors after the cancellation of the 2020 season for the first time in the contest's 52-year history due to Covid-19 restrictions.

2020 East Coast Young Farmer of the Year Joseph Watts is particularly looking forward to this season and hoping it's a case of third time lucky after finishing runner-up at the grand final in 2019.

"I was pretty shattered after finding out that I missed out on the 2019 title by 0.22 of a point, and then putting in the work to get through for another shot for the 2020 season, only for Covid to put a halt to that was guttering once again," he says.

"Knowing the organising teams have had an extra 12 months to come up with one of the most physically demanding, entertaining and mentally draining grand finals for 2021 has given me the drive to put that same time into getting my body and mind in the best physical and mental state I can."

Hoping to show it takes both brain and brawn to take out the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title, Watts can't wait to be put to the test.

New Zealand Young Farmers chairwoman Ash-Leigh Campbell says the 53rd season will be the fiercest one yet.

"We've got a lot of competitors who are raring to go and looking to compete for fun, to benchmark themselves and to test their practical and theoretical skills," she says.

"Covid-19 gave us some time up our sleeve to review, change and implement a few operational matters including the governance of the contest. With that, we've established a new contest sub-committee with some pretty phenomenal appointed members."

Former FMG Young Farmer of the Year Nigel Woodhead, reigning 2019 champion James Robertson and former grand final convener and Excellence Award winner James Goodwin are all members of the contest sub-committee.

"We've got some of the best people on the ground to be implementing the strategy of the contest, so this is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting season," Ash-Leigh Campbell says.

The first two district contests were in Otago, convened by Josh Harrex and Waikato/Bay of Plenty, convened by Kaz White on Saturday, October 3.

The 2021 grand final will be held in Christchurch next July.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year is an iconic contest which began in 1969 and showcases the best of the country's agriculture, food and fibre sectors.

The event is supported by FMG, Ravensdown, Honda, WorkSafe, STIHL, Lincoln University, Massey University, Southfuels/Northfuels and New Holland.