FMG Young Farmer title finalists
Four dairy farmers are among the seven finalists vying for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title.
Steve Henderson is the first Grand Finalist to be named in the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.
The 29-year-old sharemilker took first place at the Otago/Southland Regional Final in Queenstown on Saturday, February 7.
Henderson went home with a prize pack worth over $10,000 including cash, scholarships and products and services. He also won the Lincoln University Agri-Growth and Ravensdown Agri-Skills challenges.
This was Henderson’s third attempt at regional final level of the ANZ Young Farmer Contest. He is a very active member of the Waitane Young Farmers Club as well as the Winton Fire Brigade. He sharemilks 320 cows on a 112ha property alongside his wife Tracy near Winton.
Henderson is off to the Grand Final in Taupo, July 2-4 where he will battle it out for the Champion’s title and more than $270,000 in prizes.
The Otago/Southland Regional Final featured a strong group of contestants with plenty of knowledge and talent on display. The eight contestants were required to complete a variety of challenges that all touched on all aspects of farming from practical hands-on tasks to theory and business components.
Second place went to 25-year-old Waipahi sheep farmer, Logan Wallace, of the South Otago Young Farmers Club. He took home $2,900 worth of prizes.
Third place went to Riverton dairy farmer John White (30) and fourth place went to Justin Davie (26), of the Thornbury Young Farmers Club.
The AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge winner was John White and Justin Davie won the Silver Fern Farms Agri-Sports Challenge.
The 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest features seven regional finals culminating in the Grand Final.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…