AgriScot farm awards in ‘full flow’ despite date move

Despite the farming industry’s leading winter event moving from its usual November date to February 9, 2022, the organisers of AgriScot this week said the various ‘farm of the year’ awards and competitions hosted at the show are currently in full flow.

Robert Neill, chairman of AgriScot.

And the organisers have called for entries for the event’s Business Skills competition which is designed to encourage young people aged 18-25 to develop their farm and business management skills.

Robert Neill, AgriScot chairman said the competition, which has a top prize of £1000, would assess young agricultural professionals on a range of business tasks: “It is great that we are able to proceed with the AgriScot Business Skills competition as normal this year after an enforced break in 2020. Initial entry is by a short essay, from which semi-finalists will be selected to take part in regional (North and South) on-farm heats.”

Encouraging any young person, student, graduate, apprentice, farm worker or anyone working in the wider agricultural industry to take part he said: “I have heard from previous participants how taking part in the competition has helped them to develop their skills, contacts and provided an interesting addition to their CVs.”

The 2019 winner, Jack Cooper from Aberdeen, said: “I found the whole process of taking part in the competition interesting and challenging and it helped to develop my skills and knowledge, especially in the financial aspects of farm business management.”

“I would definitely encourage others to enter the AgriScot Business Skills Competition.”