Friday, March 29, 2024

SIAFD draws 30k-strong crowd

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The South Island Agricultural Field Days 2021 proved a winner, with a record more than 30,000 people heading through the gates for the biennial event.
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The field days held at their Kirwee site were a welcome opportunity for the agricultural industry to get together to celebrate the latest developments and innovations in the sector, as well as a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues.

A day off the farm and a time for rural and urban communities to mingle, saw them turn out in their droves over all three days.

Celebrating its 70th event, the SIAFD is one of the largest and longest running field days in New Zealand.

From modest beginnings, the SIAFD can now boast the largest working machinery display of any field days in the country.

There was something to interest everyone in the 600 trade site exhibitions and interactive stalls, and not just those in the agricultural sector, with a focus this year on creating a lifestyle section where people could come together and catch up with friends over a beer and a bite to eat.

It was an opportunity to learn about new innovations and a chance to watch new machinery and technology in action as 11ha of crops were mowed, chopped and cultivated, with the demonstrations of farm machinery proving a key attraction for the crowds.

Each day 40 machines – mowers, rakers, tedders and foragers – demonstrated their ability in the expanded working demonstration area that made it more accessible to people.

“The past year has seen us in unprecedented times with a global pandemic and thankfully agriculture has been recognised as the shining light that we all know it to be,” SIAFD chair Michaela McLeod said.

“Planning an event with the threat of looming lockdowns has been challenging but the organising committee remained determined that the event would go ahead in some capacity as a means of celebrating the industry that has remained reliable and unwavering throughout the difficult times the country has faced.

“The feedback we are getting is the exhibitors are really enjoying the positive engagement they are having with the public, which is a great achievement for our organising committee.”

Two-time Rugby World Cup winning All Black Sam Whitelock was a feature for the Field Days on Friday as he engaged with the public as part of his role as a Farmstrong ambassador.

In the competition sector, the Agri-Innovation award was won by Frizzells Smart Paddock Weigher.

The three-person panel of industry experts were extremely impressed by the new technology which allows farmers to weigh young livestock in the paddock, therefore offering the possibility to better manage the individual needs of the animal.

The Agri Magic Smart Farming award was won by Halter Cow Collars with their potential for positive environmental impacts, improved animal health awareness and on-farm financial gains. 

“The ability to tell a cow that bad weather was coming, sending it to the feedpad and ensuring it has both shelter and wasn’t having a negative impact on the grass cover or the ability to keep it out of waterways was something that really impressed us,” judge Neil Baxter said.

The best overall exhibition was awarded to Alpine Buildings NZ that headed off stiff competition to take home the Hamish Reid Memorial trophy.

The Best Big Site award went to Polaris after wowing the crowds with their off-road vehicles that were put through paces on their make-shift course.

Christchurch-based planning and surveying company Survus Consultants scooped the Best Small Site award.

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