Field Days to boost local economy
‘‘It’s a good opportunity to get in front of them and give them support.’’ Kate Gwilliam Levno
A strong rural economy is expected to boost the first postlockdown field days this week.
Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the Central Districts Field Days last year, and sent Mystery Creek’s Fieldays online.
But more than 27,000 visitors and about 530 exhibitors were expected to attend the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding, opening on Thursday.
The number of exhibitors was only slightly down on 2019, Stuff sponsorship and events director Henry McLernon said. Stuff Events is running the event.
The 2019 field days had generated $54 million in sales, with $16m of that going into the Manawatu¯ economy.
Hotel and restaurant bookings and other spending by visitors accounted for another $1.2m, he said.
Kate Gwilliam, marketing and sales manager for farm monitoring and sensing business Levno, said last year’s cancellation had added to the buzz.
‘‘In the Central Districts region, more than 80 per cent of dairy farmers are our customers,’’ Gwilliam said.
‘‘So it’s a good opportunity for us to get in front of them, catch up with them, give them support and just engage with them.’’
The event was a good barometer of the rural economy, and she was expecting a ‘‘buoyant’’ event, especially since the dairy payout was strong and farmers were feeling more positive about life, she said.
Central Auto Parts and Equipment owner Karl Lanceley, who has exhibited at the expo for 17 years, said while it generated good sales on the day, the bigger benefit was the exposure to rural contractors and farmers who might want his products and services.
‘‘It’s more the ongoing business we get from it. We’ve found we’ve got busier every year,’’ Lanceley said.
It had been the best way to promote the agricultural side of his business and farmers were likely to be on the lookout for new products after the long hiatus, he said.
But it wasn’t just farmers. A lot of people would be wanting to
get out and about this year, he said.
Economist Benje Patterson said the rural economy was in good shape, and had performed well throughout the pandemic.
There was no reason a supplier into the agricultural sector wouldn’t be optimistic, he said.
Farmers across all sectors had been able to continue to produce goods and get them to market without too much hassle, and prices and interest rates were favourable, Patterson said.
‘‘So they have that confidence to go out and replace and upgrade things on their farm.’’
Dairy prices were particularly good and recent increases at the Global Dairy Trade were likely to
add in the order of $1 billion to the economy. Meat prices were softer but still at good levels, he said.
McLernon said the field days catered for everyone and was a good family day out.
With three main pavilions, including the agricultural pavilion, the lifestyle pavilion and cuisine pavilion, there was something to keep everyone entertained.
The excavator competition would be on over the three days, where the best in the country would perform a series of difficult tasks while operating the machinery, and freestyle motocross rider Levi Sherwood would be doing shows as well, he said.