Spending at field days may be low

ROBYN EDIE/Southland Times

BRICK BY BRICK: Villa Veneer co-owner Barry Smith, sets up a stand for his latest product a weatherboard-style brick system at the Southern Field Days at Waimumu, near Gore, yesterday. The product, which was developed in Invercargill, will be showcased to the public for the first time at the field days.

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Exhibitors expecting the rural community to empty its wallet during the Southern Field Days at Waimumu this week may be disappointed.

Mystery Creek general manager Barry Quayle, who runs the Hamilton event, said farmers were focused on reducing debt and then investing in equipment that enhanced farm productivity.

He believed that would be the same pattern farmers would show in their buying behaviour at the Southern Field Days.

Exhibitors who offered farmers equipment that would give them quick returns on the farm would benefit, he said.

Southern Field Days chairman Mark Dillon agreed wtih Mr Quayle.

Farmers were still coping with a slight downturn and, while the situation was improving, the dairy industry he said all farmers wanted to reduce debt, Mr Dillon said.

The success of the event was hard to judge but the organising committee measure it on exhibitor responses and people through the gate, he said.

However, Ewan Allan Honda co-owner Andrew Allan, of Gore, said his sales seemed to be going well and he expected that to continue at the field days.

"Everyone I have talked seems to be going to the field days – farmers have been hit pretty hard up north but I think down south here we have some established farms and so we are a little better off," Mr Allan said.

Southland Farm Machinery general manager John Eske said the market was more positive coming into this season compared to the last, so that was a good sign for sales.

The field days started today and end on Friday.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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