Aaron Forde, Director and Chairman of Ornua, is to lead a team of judges to determine Macra’s FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition on Spetember 1, 2015.
Forde, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Aurivo Co-operative Society Limited, will chair the final adjudication panel of the competition at the Twin Trees Hotel, Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Along with the Ornua chief, Dr. Vanessa Woods of Agri Aware, Willie Fahey the former CEO of IFAC Accountants and Prof. Gerry Boyle Director of Teagasc also on the judging panel.
Joe Healy, former Macra President and Dr. Tommy Boland of UCD are on the panel and will also have a say in the winner of the FBD competition.
The FBD Young Farmer of the Year awards is run by Macra na Feirme in partnership with the IFA.
The aim of the competition is to recognise and reward the top young farmers in the country.
Entrants are judged according to a number of criteria including farm business initiative and innovation, levels of farm efficiency and enterprise quality, farm safety and environmental protection awareness, as well as agricultural knowledge and community involvement.
Macra says the overall winner of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition will receive a bursary to undertake international travel and study farm practices.
There also will be sector prizes for beef, sheep, tillage, dairy, and other, it says.