Cameron Smith has secured the final spot in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final for Season 57, claiming the win in the Otago Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year Regional Final over the weekend.

The 28-year-old self-employed dairy farmer, who milks 600 cows near Awarua, was crowned the Otago Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year after a full day of challenges at the Winton Racecourse.

This marks Smith’s first time qualifying for the prestigious Grand Final – a major milestone in an already impressive year.

A Lincoln University graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture, Smith was also named the 2024 Otago Southland Share Farmer of the Year in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. Now, the 2025 FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional title adds another achievement to his growing list.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting the win,” Smith said. “I’m really stoked to be heading to the Grand Final. I’d never really pictured myself winning the whole thing, so it’s pretty cool to be representing Otago Southland, especially with the Grand Final on home turf.”

This was Smith’s second time competing in the Regional Final.

“It felt like a fresher format this time around, and I really enjoyed it – especially the farmlet section which tested our practical skills,” he said. “The way the day was run definitely made it more challenging.”

“It was a strong line-up, anyone could’ve taken it out. Having someone like Zac Thomas there, who’s already been to a Grand Final, really pushed us and kept us on our toes.”

Participants entered one of three categories based on age, ranging from the AgriKidsNZ competition for primary school pupils, the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year for High School Students, and the tightly fought FMG Young Farmer of the Year category, where eight contestants battled it out for the top spot.

Smith edged his way to victory by clocking up the most points on the day, defeating fellow Thornbury Young Farmers member Lachlan Dudin. Jeffrey Robinson from Waitane Young Farmers secured the final spot on the podium.

With a number of individual challenges thrown their way, including a head-to-head, general knowledge ‘buzzer-style’ quiz and sponsor-led modules, contestants were tested on a broad range of practical skills, technical know-how, and their ability to cope under pressure.

“I went into the contest with an open mind and really focused on managing my time well. I tried not to put too much pressure on myself, which made a big difference. At the end of the day, the worst-case scenario is that you walk away having learned something new and met some great people,” Smith explains.

Grand Final prep will be full-on for Smith, with he and his wife expecting their first baby in June.

“It’s going to be a huge few months, but I’ll chip away at the prep and do what I can to be as ready as possible,” he says.

The AgriKidsNZ competition was another crowd-favourite. After a busy morning with over 100 primary school children being challenged to their industry know-how, Sam Hartshorne, Cailyn Joyce and Hannah Stewart from Blue Mountain College emerged as the region’s victors.

Harry Moore, Connor Dickson and Dane Tauti from St Peter’s College placed second, and Dusty Pont, Angus Dobson and Jake Gray from Hauroko Primary School secured the final ticket to the Grand Final.

Meanwhile, in the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition, Angus McFadzien and Tori Vande Sandt took out the title of Otago Southland FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year, ahead of Ben Hartshorn and Manaia Tiller from Blue Mountain College.

Along with Smith, the top AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior teams will now represent the Otago Southland region in July’s Grand Final in Invercargill.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year is New Zealand’s most prestigious agricultural competition, celebrating the skill, knowledge and leadership of the next generation in our food and fibre sector.

Now in its 57th year, the competition continues to grow, with a prize pool exceeding $90,000 for the Grand Final winner, made possible by the generous support of its sponsor family: FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, Massey University, PTS Logistics, New Holland and Bushbuck.

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