Southland 'land of opportunity'

JOHN HAWKINS/The Southland Times

SMITTEN WITH SOUTH: Dairy farmer Jim Cooper, who moved his herd to the Oreti Plains from the North Island 16 years ago has no regrets. He goes back to Mystery Creek Fieldays each year.

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Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2011 New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays at the Mystery Creek Events Centre, near Hamilton. This year, Southland be well represented by a consortium of businesses and exhibitors. COLLETTE DEVLIN reports.

Winton dairy farmer Jim Cooper has been the farmers' spokesman for a group of rural professionals known as Farming in Southland, for nine years. For the past 15 years, these businesses have raised the profile of Southland, promoting farming, lifestyle and educational opportunities to prospective farmers at Fieldays. Mr Cooper will try to encourage north Island farmers to move south, as he did 16 years ago.

"Immediately after I spoke to Farming in Southland, I knew this is where I wanted to farm. At the time, my wife and I were young with small children, so we decided to leave our dairy farm in Broadlands, south of Reporoa on the central plateau," Mr Cooper said.

"It took three days to move the 300 cows, farm equipment and furniture to a property on the Otapiri Plains, near Winton, which was double the size of my old farm."

Mr Cooper says his role is to chat with northern farmers.

"I tell them about production, grass growth and wintering cows down here. Their wives ask about education and support systems, which I can tell them about first-hand. The Farming in Southland guys can give them more detail and with their areas of expertise, a whole deal can be set up for potential buyers".

Mr Cooper informs visitors to Fieldays of the many opportunities that this "beautiful part of the country" has to offer.

"When I moved to Southland it was New Zealand's best kept secret. Now we are proud to share it with the whole country.

"I believe Southland is the land of opportunity, especially for dairy farmers. Unlike the north, the climate here is predictable and the grass consistent, so I have no problems feeding my cows," Mr Cooper said.

"I will also explain to visitors how the great infrastructure for dairy and support networks make it easy to set up a farm here. The farms down here are young and modern with plenty of potential.

"I stared out with a simple farm and thanks to the great opportunities, my farm has expanded to 520ha with a herd of 1200 cows and growing."

Mr Cooper has seen Fieldays getting bigger and better every year. Indeed, the annual event is considered to be the largest agribusiness exhibition in the southern hemisphere, attracting an average 120,000 visitors from around the globe.

"I enjoy going up and having a look around. Everything you could possibly need or even want is there."

He advised anyone going up for the first time to do some homework. Because of the sheer size, he recommends deciding upon the areas to visit beforehand.

"Our tent is unique. No other province in New Zealand markets themselves in this way. People come along just to chat to our mayor. Everyone knows Mayor Tim Shadbolt; he has become one of our main attractions," Mr Cooper said.

Farming in Southland has been promoting Southland for 15 years at Fieldays. It is made up of AWS Legal, Malloch McClean chartered accountants and business adviser, Westpac and ASB banks, Southern Wide Real Estate, Preston Russell Law and My Farm, who provide farm syndicate investment opportunities.

National Fieldays attracts 120,000 visitors from around New Zealand and 38 countries internationally.

The current exhibition and demonstration space is more than 40ha and boasts more than 1000 exhibitors on 1400 sites.

It is considered the ultimate launch platform for cutting edge agricultural technology and innovation.

The NZ National Fieldays Society is a not-for-profit charitable organisation. It is run by a committee of volunteers and a team of more than 30, with additional manpower during the event.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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