FMG Young Farmer of the Year 2025: George Letham wins Tasman regional final

Young Farmer of the Year Tasman regional final winner, George Letham, competes in one of the practical challenges.

Lincoln-based George Letham has inched closer to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title after he won the Tasman regional final.

Letham, a Banks Peninsula Young Farmers member, took out the Tasman title on Saturday evening after spending the day competing in a series of challenges at the Malvern A&P Show.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling now that it’s sunk in,” he said.

“I was a bit surprised to see my name at the top of the leaderboard heading into the quiz.

“It definitely changed my strategy – I focused on getting as many points as I could without risking too many."

After competing in 2024, Letham had more experience under his belt and an understanding of how the contest works.

“After entering last year, it was nice coming into the competition with a bit more knowledge of how it all works – especially the farmlet and where you can really pick up points."

Letham said there was a mix of challenges and modules this year.

“I was hanging out for a dairy module, but there wasn’t much of that; it definitely kept me on my toes!

“It was a great mix overall and gave a solid snapshot of the Canterbury area.”

Letham grew up on a dairy farm near Rakaia and has a strong dairying background.

He said this made the sheep-focused challenges interesting.

“Sheep shearing had me a bit worried,” he laughed.

“Luckily, I managed to get the fleece off without any major issues, but I was definitely sweating.

“The handpiece is always a foreign piece of kit for me.”

Now in its 57th year, the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition showcases the best talent in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

Participants enter one of three categories based on age, ranging from the AgriKidsNZ competition for primary school pupils, Junior Young Farmer of the Year for high school students, and the Young Farmer of the Year category, where just six contestants battle for the top spot.

Contestants were tested on a broad range of practical skills, technical know-how, and their ability to cope under pressure, with several individual challenges thrown at them, including a head-to-head, general knowledge “buzzer-style” quiz, and sponsor-led modules.

Cameron Brans (second), winner George Letham, and Sam Smithers (third) at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Tasman regional final.

Letham edged his way to victory by clocking up the most points on the day, defeating Lincoln Young Farmers member Cameron Brans.

Sam Smithers from Dunsandel Young Farmers secured the final spot on the podium.

Competing in the Agri-Sports challenge in front of the crowd at the Malvern A&P Show was a standout moment for Letham.

“It was really cool getting amongst the atmosphere of the show for the last challenge of the day.

“Having the whole crowd watching you added a layer of expectation and pressure – but it was also the perfect way to prepare for the Grand Final.”

Letham said his preparation for the grand final was already under way.

“There’s a lot of study to squeeze in between now and July.

“I definitely need to brush up on everything sheep farming – and make sure my fencing skills are tidied up too.”

The AgriKidsNZ competition was another crowd favourite.

After a busy morning with more than 90 primary school children challenged on their industry know-how, it was a Seddon School domination.

Fred Maher, Manawa Doonan, and Liam Underwood emerged as the region’s victors, with Henry Molineux, Otis Norton, and Flynn O’Connor placing second.

Emma March, Isabella Pitts, and Maddy Lunn secured the final golden ticket to the grand final.

In the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition, John Lundy and Harrison Parish from Rangiora High School took out the title of Tasman FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year, ahead of Jack Higinbottom and Henry Hanrahan from St Bede’s College.

Along with Letham, the top AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior teams will now represent the Tasman region in July’s grand final in Invercargill.