Young farmer of the year finalists named

THE 2015 FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition will come to a close on September 1 when the winner will be announced at a banquet in the Twin Trees Hotel in Ballina.

This year, for the first time, a representative from each enterprise sector could go through from every county. Thirty-nine young farmers got through to the semi-finals and from these, six finalists will compete for the top titles.

The 17th annual FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition is run by Macra na Feirme in partnership with the IFA. 

The Mayo Young Farmer of the Year finalists are, dairy, Lynne O'Malley from Cross, Cong, and in the sheep sector, Joseph Joyce from Owenwee, Westport. Both have competed against the country’s other top young farmers in their sector at a series of national semi-finals which took place recently.

The six finalists will be announced at a lunch in the Twin Trees Hotel and will then undergo final interviews that afternoon. The remaining finalists will benefit from a farm walk on the farm of Seán O’Donnell, the 2014 FBD Young Farmer of the Year.

The aim of the competition is to recognise and reward the top young farmers in the country. Prizes will be awarded in all sectors, dairy, beef, sheep, tillage and other (poultry, pigs, etcetera) as well as the prestigious overall prize of a travel bursary and title of FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2015.

Mayo has won the national title three times - Michael Dee (1999), Timothy Quinn (2008) and Seán O’Donnell (2014).