Thirty-year-old Mataura farmer Zac Thomas is about to compete in the ultimate farming competition and he will be going for gold.

The Waitane Young Farmers club member will represent the Otago Southland region in this year's annual 'FMG Young Farmer of the Year' competition, held over 3 days (11-13 Jul) in Hamilton.

“The Grand Final has always been something that I’ve looked at and thought I wouldn’t be good enough, so it was quite a surprise to come first in the Regional Final this year."

"It’s been a long time in the making and it’s my one chance to give it all I’ve got.”

Hundreds of spectators, including Thomas' family, are expected to watch on as seven grand finalists race against the clock (and each other) in a series of high-pressure challenges designed to test them on their farming knowledge and ability to think quickly.

Contestants will be competing for over $90,000 in prizes including the ultimate title of ‘FMG Young Farmer of the Year'.

Fourteen FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams will also compete for a national title, along with 63 AgriKidsNZ competitors from across Aotearoa.

The three AgriKids teams representing Otago Southland are:

Southern Boys

Oliver Chamberlain, Tomas Clarke and Sam Horrell from Hauroko Valley Primary School

Winton Cowboys

Spencer White, Zephrin Latchford and Maddox Whitaker from Winton Primary School

Heddon Bush Hunters

Harri Hogg, Isabelle Hogg and Alex Shallue from Heddon Bush Primary School