Origin of competition

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32998, 18 August 1972, Page 19

Origin of competition

The Skellerup Young Farmer of the Year contest is a commendable example of city and country working together.

Why do Skellerups support this contest? The man who conceived the idea of this contest, Mr James Collins. who is director of marketing for the Skellerup group of companies, says: “we take great pleasure and pride in doing it as we fee! it is appropriate for a big industrial organisation to do something to develop the future of a very important sector of the young people of New Zealand.” In 1969 when Mr Collins was in San Francisco he noticed a radio and television show called "Voice of Agriculture,” in which Californian young farmers competed for a prize with the questions and other tasks being based on what they had to know to be successful fanners. This

programme, Mr Collins said, enjoyed a very high rating.

It occurred to the New Zealand visitor that it might be the sort of thing that would be of benefit to New Zealand young farmers, and if this was the case it would be a worthy project for Skellerups to back in the interests of young farmers here.

So Mr Collins talked about it to Professor B. P. Philpott, Dr I. D. Blair and Mr H. J, Walker (now the Minister of Tourism who will open this evening’s contest) of Lincoln College, who all agreed that it would appeal to the Young Farmers’ movement in New Zealand.

The upshot was that Mr Collins invited representatives of the national council of the movement to a meeting in March, 1969, and in August that year the first national final of the Skellerup Young Farmer of the Year contest was held in the South Pacific Hotel in Auckland. The distinction of being the first winner went to Canterbury and West Eyreton young farmer, Mr G. (Garry) N. Frazer. Mr Collins emphasises that in almost every re-

spect the running of the ■ contest is left to the young farmers, with Skellerups, being, as it were, on the sideline to back them up. The way that the . contest has grown since 1969 was due to the great enthusiasm, ability and drive of the young farmers, he said. “I would like to pay a tribute to the enterprise, skill and ability of this group of young men.” he added. “We are industrialists . but at all of the provincial finals we have been impressed with the calibre of these young people.” This year Mr Collins said he believed that something like 886 members of the movement had applied to take part in the contest and attendances at provincial finals had been five times greater than in the first year of the contest. When the contest had started the first prize had been a trip to Australia for two and $5OO. Now the winner won prizes in excess of $4OOO. And if and when the young farmers wanted it, Mr Collins said that they were prepared to develop this competition even further yet.