This year’s Agricultural Town of the Year award will see the towns of Burra, Kimba and Penola vie for the title.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven congratulated the towns’ communities on reaching this stage of the competition and wished them “all the best” for the upcoming town visits that will help to decide the winner.

“The Agricultural Town of the Year Award provides the opportunity for regional communities to reflect on their contributions to South Australia’s primary industries and regional development,” Scriven said.

This is evidenced by the drive and dedication to innovation seen in each of the finalist towns.

Burra excels in broadacre farming, pastoral activities and livestock production and the town is experiencing agricultural growth through various initiatives.

Princess Royal Station processes 85,000 cattle annually for export, while local businesses like Cousins’ Merino Services and Iris & Wool demonstrate innovation. Burra’s farming community is also collaborating with renewable energy companies, like NEOEN, to enhance their drought resilience.

Kimba’s residents and farmers are a forward-thinking collective and the community is committed to sustainable farming practices to ensure long-term agricultural productivity in the important grain and grazing region.

This leadership is evident in many ways, including Buckleboo Station being recognised with the 2024 Landcare Award for Sustainable Agriculture, and local farmers sharing their innovations and knowledge through the Global Farmer Roundtable in the USA, while Kimba Area School is educating and upskilling the next generation.

Penola, a thriving agricultural and tourist town, boasts a diverse agricultural output, including forestry, dairy, beef, lamb, grains, emerging crops like hemp, and grapes from the world-class Coonawarra wine region. Additionally, operations, like Warrawindi Farms, have moved into agritourism.

The community supports agriculture through high school programs, strategic land use planning, discounted farm rates and celebratory events, with local leaders contributing to regional and national boards.

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

This year a record 73 towns from across the state were nominated for the honour.

More than 3600 public votes were cast to whittle the field down to the Top 10 before a panel of independent judges assessed these 10 submissions and determined the final three.

The next step is a town visit in September by the judges.

Minister Scriven highlighted the important role of regional towns.

“Our regions are the economic powerhouses that drive prosperity in our state and their contributions deserve to be celebrated,” Scriven said.

“This award also provides the opportunity to share the success of these towns with the wider public and for their communities to receive well-deserved recognition for their hard work and dedication.”

The South Australian Agricultural Town of the Year Award is an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions and delivered in partnership with InDaily.

The winner will be announced at the Regional Showcase Awards Celebration Evening on 24 October.