South Island Field Days expanding

Date: 26.01.2017

The South Island Agricultural Field Days is expanding for 2017

Heading into their second event at their new home in Kirwee, the South Island Agricultural Field Days (SIAFD) is thriving and growing.

Organisers say the 2017 event from 29 to 31 March will be bigger than ever, and it will underscore the fact that SIAFD is New Zealand’s premier demonstration event for agricultural machinery.

SIAFD media spokesperson Daniel Schat says 90 percent of the exhibitor’s sites have been allocated, so any company that wants to display its products and services should act quickly to register.

Registration forms are available on the SIAFD website.

In 2015, SIAFD held its first field days at the site it purchased off Courtenay Road, Kirwee. The SIAFD executive committee bought the site when it outgrew its leased site near Lincoln University, where it was based for more than 30 years.

"When we moved to Kirwee, we purchased 40 ha, which allowed us to accommodate up to 450 exhibitors. Now we have purchased an additional 40 ha of land adjacent to our site," Daniel says.

"While we will not occupy the entire 80 ha at the 2017 Field Days, we will have more exhibitors and a bigger demonstration space than last time.

"The machinery demonstrations will feature beet harvesters and maize choppers as well as a full range of balers and cultivation equipment."

South Island Field Days switches between Canterbury and Southland each year. During the off year, Kirwee farmer Tony Redman leases the SIAFD site, and in recent months, Cressland Contracting Ltd has been doing site development work on the newly acquired portion of the site.

Daniel says that SIAFD is a true community event. A group of dedicated volunteers organise and run the Field Days, and community groups provide many of the services – parking, catering and clean-up – that make them function smoothly.

"We also provide $5000 in scholarships that go to two Lincoln University students. We will announce the winners of the 2017 scholarship winners soon," he says.

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