Only three days are left for young farmers to enter the TLU SA Young Farmer of the Year 2023 competition.
“The Young Farmer competition is annually regarded as one of the highlights of TLU SA’s calendar activities,” says Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA. “We are very proud and excited about the great prizes at stake this year. In addition to the usual overseas trip, the winner will also receive a double cab 4×4 bakkie for use during the following year. The first three places will also receive additional cash prizes.
“We would like to thank our sponsors, Hatfield Motor Group, Santam Insurance, Introlab, and Manitou, for their generous prizes.”
The judges focus on financial, operational, infrastructure, production, labour, risk management, conservation programs, the use of mechanisation and technology, and community involvement when selecting the winner. The successful winning farmer must also be able to communicate dynamically and act as an ambassador for TLU SA and young farmers.
“We want to emphasise that it is not about the size or history of the farm, but rather about the candidate’s contribution to farming and the quality of expertise that the panel experiences during the official visits,” says Van Zyl. “It is imperative for the judges to be as objective as humanly possible during the evaluation process.”
HOW EVALUATION WORKS:
Each panel member has a list of the criteria being evaluated, and any of them can ask questions as necessary. Under no circumstances do the judges discuss their impressions of the participants during the visits. Only at the end, after all the visits have been completed, are the judges’ outcomes compared for the first time.
Over the years, we have found that the judges largely agree on who the respective winners are. In cases with a difference, the judges can justify why they prefer one candidate over another. This leads to a reasonably intensive discussion until a consensus is reached.
According to the judges, this is the most objective method that can be used to evaluate each candidate for their contribution to farming.
“We want to encourage our younger farmers to enter because it is also an excellent way for young farmers to learn and adapt,” he says. “It has happened in the past that a candidate was chosen as the winner after three attempts.”
Contact the headquarters at info@tlu.co.za or 012 804 8031 to enter.
