Walsh: Shows need a lifeline

V“Our iconic ag shows and field days are a prime opportunity for our farmers and farm businesses to connect to improve their productivity and profitability” – Peter Walsh

ictorian Shadow Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh wants the State Government to provide extra support for agricultural organisations confronted by more show and field-day cancellations.

Mr Walsh said Victorian agricultural shows and field days were desperate for a financial lifeline to ensure their survival into next year.

He made his comments with confirmation of the cancellation of 2021 shows at Wimmera centres Nhill, Warracknabeal and Stawell as well as Maffra, Colac, Cobram, Sunbury and Berrigan and expectations of others to follow.

Mr Walsh said the cancellations left many of the volunteer-run events, which had already recorded hefty losses in 2020, at risk of disappearing entirely.

“Our iconic ag shows and field days are a prime opportunity for our farmers and farm businesses to connect to improve their productivity and profitability,” he said.

“Cancellation of the Royal Melbourne Show has also torpedoed an important opportunity for producers and breeders to showcase their work to the community and among potential buyers.

“The future of these events is in doubt with the Andrews Labor government still refusing to come to the table with extra support to recover from losses in 2020 and 2021.”

Mr Walsh said the estimations were that agricultural-event cancellations had stripped more than $200-million from Victoria’s rural communities.

“Ag societies are doing their best to survive, but they can’t do it alone,” he said.

“Financial support will help to make up the cost of cancelling these events, but while we work to get vaccination rates up in our community, we must do more to give our major events certainty.

“Rolling out rapid testing is one way we can help our major events sector move forward and can work in tandem with COVID-SAFE plans and PCR, polymerase chain reaction, testing to allow people to come together.

“But the government is guilty of having no plan for Victoria’s major events sector to recover.”