Rules / Young Farmer of the Year

The FBD Young Farmer of the Year Awards are run annually by Macra na Feirme in partnership with the IFA. The competition was launched in 1999 and has been successful in raising the profile of young farmers within their community by recognising their achievements and contribution to farming.

Prizes

There is a substantial prize fund available to winners, which includes:

• Overall winner - €3,000 travel bursary

• Category winners - €500 each.

In addition, jackets are presented to each semi-finalists, along with specially commissioned trophies for category winners and the overall winner. Prizes and categories are subject to annual review.

Application

Application forms are available for download from the Macra website at www.macra.ie

Adjudication Candidates are judged under the following criteria:

• Farm business initiative and innovation (20 Marks).

• Knowledge of production costs and returns (20 Marks).

• Vision and planning for the future farm business (15 Marks).

• General agricultural, environmental protection and sustainability knowledge (10 Marks).

• Involvement in agri sector and the community (10 Marks).

• Personal development initiatives (10 Marks).

• Farm safety (15 Marks).

Who Can Enter?

To enter the competition, farmers must be:

• Under 35 years on January 1, on the year of the competition and a member of Macra na Feirme or the IFA.

• Involved in the running of the farm on which they currently work for at least three years, either full-time or part-time.

This competition is subject to annual review in consultation with FBD and IFA. Accordingly, these details may change. The definitive details will be contained in the competition entry form.