Thomas Slee, 28, won the 2026 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Otago Southland final, advancing to the national final. Thomas Slee, de 28 años, ganó la final del FMG Young Farmer of the Year Otago Southland 2026, avanzando a la final nacional.

Thomas Slee, a 28-year-old dairy farmer from Nightcaps, has won the 2026 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Otago Southland regional final, scoring 271 points across five challenges. Thomas Slee, un granjero lechero de 28 años de Nightcaps, ha ganado la final regional de Otago Southland 2026 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, obteniendo 271 puntos en cinco desafíos. He outpaced finalists Henry Smith and Harry McCallum and will advance to the national grand final in July. Sobrepasó a los finalistas Henry Smith y Harry McCallum y avanzará a la gran final nacional en julio. The competition, held at the Gore A&P Showgrounds, included age categories for primary and high school students, with teams from Northern Southland College and Blue Mountain College winning their respective titles. La competencia, celebrada en Gore A&P Showgrounds, incluyó categorías de edad para estudiantes de primaria y secundaria, con equipos de Northern Southland College y Blue Mountain College ganando sus respectivos títulos. The event drew strong community support and marked a record year for participation in the 58th season of the Young Farmers program. El evento atrajo un fuerte apoyo de la comunidad y marcó un año récord para la participación en la 58a temporada del programa Young Farmers.