Rural youth Ag entries now open

Mercury Bay Area School seniors Moesha Pourau (nearest camera) and Stephanie Gray come to grips with carpentry in the TeenAg Competition section of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Young farmer of the Year Regional Final at Kihikihi Domain in April.

New Zealand's most hotly contested competitions for rural youth have expanded due to phenomenal growth and are open for entries.

The AgriKidsNZ and TeenAg competitions held around New Zealand to co-incide with the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Regional Finals will get underway in February, but due to popularity, organisers are warning teams to get their entries in now.

NZ Young Farmers competitions co-ordinator David Highsted said since AgriKidsNZ began in 2005 and TeenAg began in 2009 the competition has gone from strength to strength.
"In the last contest season that culminated in record entries and we have now expanded the number of teams competing to adjust to the growth."

Mr Highsted said TeenAg numbers competing increased by 27 per cent last year alone and AgriKidsNZ by 6 per cent.

"It's encouraging to see that the work NZ Young Farmers puts in to exciting the younger generation about agriculture is being rewarded and we hope it will eventually reward the entire New Zealand Primary Industry."

Designed as a fun competitive way to introduce urban and rural schools and families to agriculture, the contests have become the highlight of many students' year.

"These students are becoming champions of our industry and are sharing the fantastic experiences they have through the contest. It is a great public relations exercise and a vital part of NZ Young Farmers ongoing emphasis of educating our youth about the vast and exciting opportunities within the primary sector."

* Entries are now open online at: www.agrikidsnz.co.nz and www.teenag.co.nz