Fieldays fun
Farming event draws crowds
If there is a pinch in the rural sector, you couldn’t see it at Fieldays.
In the leadup to the biggest agribusiness event in the southern hemisphere, there were fears fewer people would open their wallets due to the the dairy downturn.
But the mood was upbeat, stallholders said.
Blokes in plaid shirts propped themselves against the heavy machinery and chatted in circles, and families hauled prams across the muddy paths.
More than 28,000 tickets had been scanned on day one.
There were 32,260 visitors who strode through the makeshift streets at Mystery Creek on Thursday, a 10 per cent increase on the same day last year.
The event, held 15-18 June, at Mystery Creek Events Centre has been drawing large crowds since it began in 1968.
It averages around 120,000 people through the gate each year.
The 2015 Fieldays contributed $396m to the NZ economy and $132m to the Waikato region.
Communications executive Rachel Middleton said they hadn’t seen an impact, event-wise, from the downturn. She said exhibitor numbers were steady and there were 70 new sites this year.
Swanndri chief executive Mark Nevin, who was working the cash register at Fieldays on Wednesday, said there was some anxiety going into Fieldays this year.
Swanndri tripled the size of its site space this year, taking up about 600 square metres.
‘‘What we are wanting to do is make the shopping experience for our customers better.’’
The investment paid off, with sales going extremely well, he said.
But the event isn’t just about buying.
For Te Awamutu dairy farmers Daren and Alana Latto it was a good excuse to get off the farm with their kids, Isaiah, 2, and Macey, 3 months.
‘‘It’s a fun day out for everyone,’’ Alana Latto said. ‘‘We’ll wander round and see the sites . . . There’s fun stuff for the kids to look at.’’
Daren Latto attends Fieldays every year.
It’s a good excuse to get off the farm, he said. They weren’t there to buy, though.
‘‘Mostly just looking this year.’’