A young farmer raised on a local sheep and beef farm has won the title of East Coast Regional FMG Young Farmer of the Year after a commanding performance in Waipukurau on the weekend.
PGG Wrightson technical field officer Hamish Best, 26, took to the competition with force on Saturday and proved himself a real threat in both technical and practical facets by winning four of the five Agri-Challenges on offer.
Mr Best had previously been tipped as a front-runner after finishing second in last year's regional final and winning the Hawke's Bay district contest and skills day.
Hailing from Tikokino the young farmer used his past experience in the competition to his advantage and displayed a diverse range of talent and skill in the competition.
Mr Best said he had "put in a lot of hard work" ahead of the regional final and it had definitely paid off.