FMG Young Farmer of the Year: Taranaki Manawatū regional final won by Zayn Jones

Third place went to Matt Lever (left), while Zayn Jones was first and Sean Taylor placed second at the Taranaki Manawatū Young Farmer of the Year regional final.

Dairy farm manager Zayn Jones, 31, has been crowned the Season 56 Taranaki Manawatū FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

The announcement was made on Saturday evening, after two days of fierce competition at the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding.

Now, the chairman of Fitzherbert Young Farmers gears up to take on six other regional finalists in the Young Farmer of the Year grand final to be held in Hamilton in July.

The weekend’s event was one of seven regional finals happening throughout Aotearoa between February and April.

Details of what challenges would be thrown at the Taranaki Manawatū event were kept under wraps from the 30 contestants.

Jones said winning a place in the grand final was “really cool”.

“I’m looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone even more.”

A dairy farm manager near Ōpiki, this was Jones’ second attempt at the competition.

He said he’d immersed himself in what Young Farmers had to offer, since joining in 2022.

“I’ve been trying to put myself out there.

“I’m the chairman of the club and vice-chair of the region, so competing in the contest has been another way that I’ve been able to challenge myself.”

Jones said the head-to-heads were a highlight and “different” from what he’d seen in the past and a credit to the Taranaki Manawatū organising committee.

“In the first head-to-head we had to untwist a gate which was a real brain jerker and was something more practical you might come across on-farm.

He said the speed shear in the second head-to-head “split the competition in half”.

“I was lucky that I’ve done a bit of shearing before, but some of the dairy guys had never picked up a handpiece”.

Another highlight for Jones was competing against his partner, Natalie Ahlborn, a fellow Fitzherbert Young Farmers member.

“She was a bit unsure about competing, but I was fully backing her, she knows her stuff,” he said.

“The committee did an amazing job of the spread of knowledge that was needed so she did really well.

“It’s flicked on the flame for her to enter again.”

Jones encouraged other Young Farmer members to get involved and give the contest a try.

“It may be daunting at the start, but the more you put in the more you get out.”

Sean Taylor, 30, of Marton Young Farmers, clinched second place and Matt Lever, 21, representing the Massey Young Farmers, was third.

Now in its 56th year, the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition is dedicated to showcasing the very best talent in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

Jones said he was looking forward to competing at the grand final and would use his network to upskill and build his knowledge.

“There’s a lot to cover and I’ll lean heavily into people that have competed before,” he said.

“I’ve already had offers of support, so I’ll definitely take people up on those.”

Taranaki Manawatū Young Farmer of the Year and AgriKidsNZ winners

Nicolas Verry and Jack Aitken-Cade won the Taranaki Manawatū Junior Young Farmer of the Year title.

Nicolas Verry and Jack Aitken-Cade, of Palmerston North Boys’ High School, were unbeatable, taking out the Taranaki Manawatū FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year title for 2024.

Haylee Baker and Mikayla Marshall, of Feilding High School, placed second.

Meanwhile, the Halcombe School AgriKidsNZ team of Maggie Lintott, Max Ireland and Taylor Lane were the 2024 Taranaki Manawatū AgriKidsNZ Champions.

Runner-up and third in the AgriKidsNZ contest were Maisie Johnstone, Max Staples, and Jonty Howland, also of Halcombe School, and Hamish Gallen, Ben Gallen and Braxton Jacobs, of Waituna West.

They have also been invited to July’s Young Farmer of the Year grand final.

New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith says this year’s grand final was shaping up to be one of the best yet.

“Every year we continue to be blown away by the calibre of our FMG Young Farmer of the Year contestants, from our AgriKidsNZ participants through to those vying for the regional FMG Young Farmer of the Year title. Their knowledge, skills and passion for the industry is impressive and certainly leaves us excited for the future of our industry.”

Coppersmith praised the hard work of those behind the scenes.

“We simply couldn’t do it without the tireless work of our committees and volunteers.

“These are people who support us year in, year out, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has played a part.”