Covid 19 coronavirus: Young Farmer of the Year Northern regional final postponed

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New Zealand Young Farmers says it has decided to postpone the Northern FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional final based on Government recommendations.

The Young Farmer of the Year Northern regional final was set to be held in Pukekohe this Saturday February 20, at Pukekohe Showgrounds.

The decision was made following Auckland's move to Alert Level 3 and the rest of the country to Alert Level 2, NZ Young Farmers said.

In a statement, Young Farmers said postponing the event was the safest and most cautious option, despite the organisation having contingency plans in place to run events during alert level two.

"The safety of our competitors, staff, sponsors and spectators is our main priority. It is imperative that we protect our people and do not put anyone at risk," the statement said.

Young Farmers was "working hard" to set a new date for the event and would provide an update as soon as possible, the statement said.

In the meantime all tickets for the evening show will roll over to the new date once it had been set - however refunds were available on request.

Young Farmers said that since it was "such a fast moving situation" it was assessing the situation daily and following advice from the Government and other appropriate channels.

"I appreciate this decision will be disappointing for everyone involved with the Northern FMG Young Farmer of the Year Regional Final, but for the safety of competitors, volunteers, spectators and sponsors it's the right thing to do," New Zealand Young Farmers CEO Lynda Coppersmith said.

"I'd like to acknowledge all of our Northern competitors and in particular highlight the efforts of our volunteers, sponsors and staff as we work through these details."

Coppersmith said New Zealand had "stamped out the virus before" and Young Farmers was hopeful for the of future of upcoming events.

"We are staying positive that we can do this again and continue on with our FMG Young Farmer of the Year season."