ORGANISERS couldn’t have ordered a better backdrop for the Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Confidence in the seasonal conditions buoyed by lucrative livestock prices was evident in the mood at the three-day event.
HMFD chairman Ross Edwards was upbeat and said timely autumn rain had boosted prospects in southern NSW.
“Land sales are buoyant, showing people are keen to invest in agriculture in the long term,” he said.
“With a downturn in mining, agriculture has emerged to be of great importance to the Australian economy.”
Mr Edwards said the skills shortage in rural Australia was ringing alarm bells and graduates were needed to fill many of the new positions available.
“I believe young people should seriously consider a career in agriculture,” he said.
”It is great to see the level of students entering university to study agricultural related courses has increased in recent years.”
Mr Edwards said there was certainly a need to recruit, maintain and develop staff for farms, service and supply firms.
“The HMFD board is focused on the future of agriculture and strives to keep abreast of changing technology,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of global food security and said agricultural industries had a role to play in what was shaping up to be an even brighter future. At HMFD 2015 the theme was to celebrate International Year of Soils.
“I encourage all field day patrons to visit the Agri-Centre where a brains trust of soil health knowledge will explore the theme of Prosperous Farming in the International Year of Soils,” he said.
Meanwhile, a machine designed to maintain soil structure while repairing wheel tracks was named machine of the year.
The Axial Throw Flatrac, entered by Victorian company TPOS Fabrications, was judged by an independent panel of farmers. The event featured more than 800 exhibitors and crowd numbers were tipped to be about 60,000 for the three days.
