The hotly contested Agricultural Town of the Year award will be fought out by three of our state’s regional towns: Bordertown, Eudunda and Wudinna.

Introduced in 2019, the Ag Town of the Year award recognises South Australian towns that are excelling in agricultural practices and, as a consequence, supporting vibrant and resilient communities.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven commended the entrants and finalists.

“The awards highlight each town’s unique contributions to the regional economic development and community vibrancy that make regional South Australia such a wonderful place to live,” she said.

Regions contribute $29 billion to the state’s economy each year, a contribution Scriven said was worthy of celebration.

“My congratulations and appreciation go to all the towns that have participated in this year’s Ag Town of the Year awards,” she said.

The judging process will now move another step closer to the announcement of the winner at the Regional Showcase Awards celebration on November 9.

Bordertown, Eudunda and Wudinna will each receive a visit from the independent judging panel and a PIRSA representative, who will see firsthand the town’s agricultural initiatives and meet some of the town’s community.

They will also have promotional videos and stories produced for them by Solstice Media, the publisher of InDaily.

This fifth year of Ag Town of the Year has been one of firsts, heralding the debut appearance of each of three towns as a finalist.

This year also saw the introduction of a Top 10, which ultimately became a Top 11 when the public vote delivered a tied result for tenth spot to Crystal Brook and Yunta.

The winning town of the 2023 Ag Town of the Year will be presented with a certificate and trophy by the minister.

They will also receive a sign for the town entrance recognising their achievement, a community celebration event and a feature in SALIFE magazine.

The Agricultural Town of the Year Award runs alongside InDaily’s regional news program and the 2023 winner will be announced at its Regional Showcase Awards in November.