McKerchar Claims Back-To-Back Aorangi Titles, Eyes FMG Young Farmer Grand Final Glory

Gareth McKerchar is back in the running for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title after securing victory in the Aorangi Regional Final.

McKerchar, 26, was announced as the winner of the Aorangi FMG Young Farmer of the Year for the second year in a row on Saturday evening, after spending the day competing in a series of challenges at the Ashburton A&P Showgrounds.

This win qualifies him for his second Grand Final appearance, having previously competed in 2024, where he finished third overall.

"I'm really excited to be heading back to the Grand Final for a second year,” McKerchar explains. “There's a lot of work to be done between now and then, and knowing how much prep I put in last year, I’ll need to do even more this time to come out on top."

"The regional was good fun and I felt pretty well prepared for most of the challenges, although the MPI module did throw me a bit!"

"Agri-Sports was definitely a highlight, and taking out the win and the Milwaukee prize was an awesome way to top off the day."

After competing in 2024, McKerchar had a bit more experience under his belt and an understanding of how the Contest works.

"I went into the weekend with a bit more strategy. Sometimes if you overthink it, things can unravel, so I tried to keep a clear head and back myself."

"This time around I focused a lot more on theory and also worked on my fitness which definitely helps. Thinking straight when you're puffed is a challenge in itself!"

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.

McKerchar edged his way to victory by clocking up the most points on the day, defeating Hinds Young Farmers member Jack Taggart. Sam Allen from Pleasant Point 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.

With the Grand Final just a few months away, McKerchar’s preparation is underway.

"Last year it was a bit of a surprise just how much goes into preparing, there’s the speech, the innovation project, and a whole lot of study. I’ve got a better idea of what I’m getting myself into this time around, so that’ll help shape my prep," he explains.

"I know I need to spend some time with a rural accountant. I was lucky at the Regional Final, but there’s definitely room to work on my numbers.”

"I’m also planning to get in touch with a few past Grand Final winners. Hearing their insights and how they approached the competition will be a big help."

"And then there’s the quiz, I’m trying to get hold of some buzzers so I can work on answering questions quickly and accurately. It’s definitely something I need to get sharper at!"

The AgriKidsNZ competition was another crowd-favourite. After a busy morning with over 90 primary school children being challenged to their industry know-how, Ebony Groves, James Sheppard and Ollie Morten from Hinds School emerged as the region’s victors.

Thomas Bedford, Grace Muckle and William Hilhorst from Dorie School placed second, and Lilly-Grace Bayne, Annabelle Andrews and Sadie McLachlan from Duntroon School secured the final ticket to the Grand Final.

Meanwhile, in the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition, Leo Acland and Charlie Clark from Christ’s College and Mt Hutt College took out the title of Aorangi FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year, ahead of Edward White and Hunter Illingworth from Timaru Boys’ High School.

Along with McKerchar, the top AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior teams will now represent the Aorangi 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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