Taranaki farmers face uncertain outlook despite grass growth after drought
The grass may be growing again in the drought-stricken coastal area of Taranaki, but the outlook for many farmers there is far from rosy.
The two-day expo, on April 5 and 6, will again be hosted by the Wairoa A&P Society at its central Wairoa showgrounds.
The event is devoted to helping the region’s farmers and landowners explore new ideas for sheep and beef farming. It enables East Coast and Hawke’s Bay farmers to talk to industry innovators, especially trade exhibitors wanting to demonstrate and sell products and services.
Field hydrologist and director of Hydro Logic NZ Ltd, Matt Brown, exhibiting for a second year, says the Wairoa expo has the potential to grow into an important event for East Coast farmers.
“We like the fact that it draws interest from the northern end of the East Coast, right down to the Taihape area,” Brown says.v
“The larger field days around the country show agricultural products and services on a grand scale, but at the East Coast expo the feel is more relaxed, and shows technology, services and expertise that was unavailable until last year’s inaugural event.”
Brown says they felt they only “scratched the surface” in 2016 in promoting telemetry systems, soil moisture and weather stations. This year Hydro Logic NZ Ltd will exhibit water quality sensors, radio telemetry, water tank monitoring equipment, water quality probes, etc.
“We will show radio telemetry equipment that has low running costs and can be used to monitor many different applications, e.g. water tank levels and rain gauges. And we will display Davis weather stations.”
Water Right Ltd, of Hastings, also exhibited last year. Managing director Matt O’Kane says the Wairoa event gave many East Coast business people a good look at new technology and techniques.
“It is a specialised show with… technology that is life-changing to many people who simply didn’t realise that technology was out there,” O’Kane says. “Unlike A&P Shows it attracts genuinely interested people who want to know about your products for a reason.”
Water Right Ltd will exhibit automated irrigating equipment, pipe welding technology and European centre pivot systems.
“We had a huge amount of interest last year and as a result more people are thinking about irrigation and water systems,” O’Kane says. These include people farming areas typically not irrigated, particularly from Wairoa north.”
Another returning exhibitor is Hansen Products NZ Ltd, whose technical sales rep Simon Hayes hopes to build on the success of the inaugural expo.
The Hansen will include the firm’s own trough valves, ball valves, leveller valves, a level alert, Easy Fit fittings for alkathene pipe and Hansen True Fit threaded fittings.
Says Hayes, “We’re looking forward to showing farmers how using our products can help improve their farm output, and giving them input on existing product performance and opportunities for improvements and innovations.”
www.eastcoastexpo.co.nz
