The Weekly Times and Coles have unveiled the 12th Farmer of the Year awards, a program that has been supporting Australia's farmers and rural communities for over a decade.

The prestigious Farmer of the Year award was presented to the Corish family from Queensland, who are leading the grain industry's push for a more sustainable future by reducing nitrogen fertiliser use and increasing yields.

The Corish family's business, New Leaf Ag, produces wheat, barley, chickpeas, sorghum, and cotton at Condamine, in the Western Downs region in Queensland. Their efforts are a testament to the innovation and resilience of Australia's farming community, as they adapt to changing environmental conditions and market demands.

The Farmer of the Year campaign is a joint initiative between The Weekly Times, News Corp Australia, and Coles, recognising leading farmers in six categories: beef, cropping, dairy, horticulture, sheep, and innovation. Other category winners include the Caithness family (Beef Farmer of the Year), the Walpole family (Dairy Farmer of the Year), the Steemson family (Horticulture Farmer of the Year), the Roberts family (Sheep Farmer of the Year), and Xavier and Kimberley Prime (Innovative Farmer of the Year).

Penny Fowler, Chairman of The Herald & Weekly Times and News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador, said: "All Australians benefit from the sector’s success and its flourishing is cause for celebration." She added that the "pioneering practices and superb sophistication" of Australian farmers means that "much of the world now looks to Australia as its bread basket."

James Graham, Coles Group chairman noted the winners had “an eye to the future while continuing to deliver exceptional quality produce for Australian tables." Fowler also highlighted that the farmers had “again proven themselves to be masters of innovation."

The event was attended by 200 people, including 18 finalists, agribusiness leaders, and federal and state agriculture ministers. Profiles of the winners and finalists will appear in a special 32-page Farmer of the Year magazine, inserted in The Weekly Times and other state-based mastheads.

Nigel Corish, the recipient of the Farmer of The Year award, said: "I’m being the guinea pig. I’m being the person that hopefully shows people how it is going to be done. I think we need to be part of the conversation and at the table, to allow us to become better farmers."