Mayo man wins FBD Young Farmer of the Year title

Young dairy farmer Kevin wins prestigious title in 18th year of competition

7 September 2016

Mayo man wins FBD Young Farmer of the Year title

Pictured are the six finalists in the FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2016 - Brian Keegan (Kidare), Thomas Duffy (Cavan), Michael Kenny (Offaly), Kevin Moran(Mayo), Stephen Robb (Donegal) and Mattie John Kelly (Roscommon).

FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2016 Kevin Moran a dairy farmer from Mayo

Athboy Macra who were awarded Meath Macra's Club of the Year 2015/16.

Members of Kilkenny Macra take part in a tug of war at the recent Calor Know Your Neighbour events held at the Iverk Show in Kilkenny

The 18th FBD Young Farmer of the Year has been named as Kevin Moran, a young dairy farmer from Co Mayo. He has won the prestigious title following a challenging interview process and an on-farm visit. Judging panel chair, Michael Hoey, managing director of Country Crest, announced the winner at an awards ceremony in the Boyne Valley Hotel and Country Club in Drogheda. Kevin has won a travel bursary worth €3,000.

Judging panel chair, Michael Hoey, managing director of Country Crest, announced the winner at an awards ceremony in the Boyne Valley Hotel and Country Club in Drogheda. Kevin has won a travel bursary worth €3,000.

The competition is organised by Macra na Feirme in partnership with the IFA and sponsors FBD.

There was also sector prizes for dairy, beef, sheep and tillage/other. The winners were Michael Kenny from Co Offaly (beef), Mattie John Kelly from Roscommon (sheep), Kevin Moran from Mayo (dairy) picks up that award too and Stephen Robb from Donegal (tillage).

Thomas Duffy from Cavan and Brian Keegan from Co Kildare were awarded adjudicator prizes.

Macra national president Seán Finan said: “This is one of the most prestigious nights on the farming calendar where industry and farmers come together to recognise and award the brightest and best young farmers in the country. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to the category winners and to Kevin Moran from Mayo, the 18th FBD Young Farmer of the Year.”

Fiona Muldoon, CEO of FBD insurance, said: “FBD sponsor the Young Farmer of the Year because we aim to promote creativity, ambition and diversification and we believe we do that through our sponsorship of this programme and the many other programmes we sponsor.

Michael Hoey, managing director of Country Crest, chaired the final judging panel of Thomas Honner, former Macra President; Pat O’Toole of the Irish Farmers Journal; John Donoghue from IFAC Accountants; Joe Burke from Bord Bia; and Dr Tommy Boland from UCD.

IFA president Joe Healy said: “It’s not only an opportunity for the winners to go forward and represent themselves, their sector and the organisation, but I think what I’ve seen through the years as a judge is the number of people that came, did the interviews and then realised what they needed to improve on inside their farm gate. Let Macra and the IFA worry about lobbying and the other aspects of farming outside the gate, but there’s a lot that can be improved on inside the farm gate on a lot of farms and I think that’s what the young farmers taking part in this competition need to take away from it as well because we can all make improvements.”

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.