The National Agricultural Fieldays continues into its third day at Mystery Creek for what is traditionally a busy day with a number of schools allowing their students to attend.
Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
Yesterday nearly 29,000 people came through the gates, a similar number to the first day on Wednesday and both up on last year's figures, which bodes well for the organisers to possibly beat last year attendance rate of 120,000 people.
There are 1,000 exhibitors over the 50-hectare site and all are on a mission to make contacts and, more importantly, make sales.
Most of those Radio New Zealand spoke to were pretty upbeat, although they conceded it was likely sales may be down this year. All said, however, that it was essential to be at Fieldays to keep a presence and remain in the faces of farmers, because if they do not upgrade equipment and the like this year, eventually they will have to.
Ron Stellingwerf of Leask Engineering, which specialises in dairy shed pipe work, said business had slowed over the past few months and hewas not too sure what the coming months will be like, but he's not too concerned.
"We've been through it before. It's a bit different this time from farmers' point of view. They've been through low payouts before but there's other regulations and rules that impact how they deal with things. This downturn's probably harder on the young farmers. The established farmers are in a better position to get through it."
Duncan Agriculture sells seed drills and other farm equipment. Its North Island Area Manager is Grant Thompson.
"I believe the numbers of people coming through are down, visiting the ag side of it. But there's more quality. People coming along this year have got a reason.
"They are looking for something and at the end of the day these farmers are running a business, they can't just shut their doors. And farm equipment is part of maintining the business, so we're very pleased with the way that it's gone this year."
There are over 1,000 exhibitors over the 50-hectare site. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
Izuzu is here again and the focus, not surprisingly is on four by four utes. Murray Greenhalgh is the company's General Manager in New Zealand
They came to Fieldays not exactly sure of how it was going to go for them.
"It was interesting because obviously with the dairy industry we weren't sure what was going to happen, but it's been above expectations.
"We have had over 250 people through a day, just on our test track alone and we've sold quite a few vehicles, so we're happy campers."
That site featuring the test track won the award for the Fieldays site with the best interactive experience.
