According to Professor Pieter Fourie, convenor of the judges and Head of the Department of Agriculture at the Central University of Technology, a finalist must set an example for others in the industry, especially for young farmers.
"It is not the size of a farm or farming practices that make a farmer win," says Fourie. Fourie explains that it is more about how he or she do what they do and whether they make a unique contribution. How an example is set in things like the precision of a farm, what balance there is and how the management performance looks.
Farmers will be judged on, among other things, their future vision, budget and finance, production, marketing and community engagement; however, the most important aspect includes management philosophy and how technical skills are used to put it into action.
FSA’s Young Farmer Conference, with the theme Accessible Resources in a Modern Agricultural Environment, will be held at Monte Bello Estate in Bloemfontein on 17 April 2019, after which the Young Farmer of the Year will be announced at a gala dinner.
This year’s finalists will be visited and judged by a panel of judges early in March.