Fieldays goes urban
OPINION: Once upon a time the Fieldays were for real farmers, salt of the earth people who thrived on hard yakka.
Some early rain on the opening day meant less of a crowd poured into the Mystery Creek site last week.
Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation claims it is proof of success of holding the event even though final numbers would not be known till after Saturday. However, Nation reckons having 1000 exhibitors on site is a good result. On Wednesday morning there were some heavy showers, but gumboots and umbrellas were the simple answer. And there were plenty of indoor sites to visit as well.
Nation told Rural News that organisers of similar events world-wide are facing challenges with supply chain disruptions forcing exhibitors to pull out or downsize. “It’s hard if you don’t have product,” he says.
But Nation adds that there has been an excellent response from overseas visitors.
“One company flew in 200 delegates to the event and many others flew in smaller numbers.”
He’s hopeful that more freedoms around travel will see future numbers increase.
As for the somewhat controversial decision to stage the event at this time of the year, Nation claims that farmers are still coming along as are key exhibitors – such as Fonterra and DairyNZ. He says Fieldays is mindful that it’s a busy time of the year.
“But as one farmer put it to me – this is the secondbest date you could have chosen.”
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.
Tributes are pouring in from across the political divide for former Prime Minister Jim Bolger who passed away, aged 90.
The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.
Agri advisor Perrin Ag says its graduate recruitment programme continues to bring new talent into the agricultural sector.
Entries are open for the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA).
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