The time has come for primary and high school students to get their teams together for the AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year contests.

Entries for the prestigious competitions have just opened for the 2023 season, with the events running alongside the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Regional Finals across the country.

Learning about the food and fibre sector and where food comes from, the contests aim to excite and stimulate all school-aged students from both town and country.

Primary school kids aged 8 to 13 years old are eligible to enter in teams of three for AgriKidsNZ, meanwhile, high school students compete in pairs for FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year.

NZ Young Farmers Chief Executive Lynda Coppersmith said the best part is that competitors don’t even need to be from a farm to enter.

“Most of the challenges in both AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year are agriculturally based to introduce the next generation to the sector, where their food comes from and to also get them excited about all of the different opportunities in the food and fibre sector,” she said.

Across both events, teams compete in seven different modules before moving on to the final rounds of the day – the race-off for AgriKidsNZ and the face-off for FMG Junior contestants.

The top three AgriKidsNZ teams from each Regional Final would be invited to compete in the Grand Final with 24 teams from around the country, which runs alongside the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in July in Timaru.

The top two teams from the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year Regional Final would also be invited to the Grand Final, competing against 14 teams.

“We see the whole contest series as a pathway to excellence, with many competitors coming through from AgriKidsNZ, to FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year and then on to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest," Coppersmith said.

"At the end of the day, it’s about our tamariki learning to work together, develop skills, make new friends, learn something new and most importantly walk away with a smile on their face.”

The contest is open but with limited spots available, parents and supervisors are urged to sign up their teams as soon as possible.

For more information and to enter, visit www.youngfarmers.co.nz/contest/junior-registrations-2023.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Contest Series is proudly supported by FMG, Ravensdown, Worksafe, Environmental Protection Authority, Ministry for Primary Industries, Honda, Stihl, New Holland, Lincoln University, Massey University, PTS Logistics and Bushbuck.