A great field of applicants for "Farmer of the Year"
Applications for this year’s "Farmer of the Year" and "Young Farmer of the Year" awards have closed, with organisers buoyed by the quality of applicants, during what is considered a challenging time for NSW and Australian farmers.
The first prize of $10,000 will be awarded at the NSW Farmers Association’s annual conference in July to the NSW farmer with the best mix of sustainability and profitability.
The top young farmer will take home $5,000.
The awards, which are in their fifth year, are a great way of recognising the determination and achievement of primary producers, particularly their ability to survive the longest drought on record.
Past winners and finalists have all become important ambassadors for the industry and are helping to better educate urban audiences about the value and sustainability of primary industries.
The judges would again be looking for farmers with innovative ways of coping with environment challenges, such as the ongoing drought.
The annual awards are coordinated by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and NSW Farmers’ Association, and supported by Rural Press and the Royal Agricultural Society.
"There are some incredible industry success stories out there in country NSW - we need faces and names to help bring those stories into the public’s eye so they can truly appreciate where their world class food and fibre products really come from," the organisers said.
The finalists are expected to be announced later this month.
More information about the awards is available at: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases/farming-awards-launched