Who we are is worth celebrating: Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon waves the chequered flag after winning his ride-on lawnmower race during his visit to the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding on March 14. Photo / Mark Mitchell

OPINION

March provided plenty of opportunities to celebrate rural and provincial New Zealand right here in Rangitikei. The Rural Games and Rural Sports Awards, the Central Districts Field Days, the Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and the FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional final all showcased agribusiness, the global food value chain, community spirit, our sense of fun and that agriculture is still the backbone of New Zealand.

The Rural Games celebrate sports that built a nation and the Rural Sports Awards are a tribute to our rural sportsmen and women achieving great things on the national and international stage. Held in The Square in Palmerston North the games attracted competitors from professional sportspeople to school students, and were also enjoyed by spectators from across the region and New Zealand.

Some notable achievements by Rangitīkei residents include Kristin Churchward of Taihape, taking out the Women’s NZ Gumboot Throwing Championship, and Jack Jordan of Taumarunui, winning the NZ Men’s Timbersports Championship. Feilding High School showed its shearing prowess taking out the North Island Secondary School Shearing Championship.

Rangitīkei also had good representation at the awards dinner, with Jordan winning the Supreme Award and Sportsman of the Year, Bronwyn Troon of Taihape deservedly sharing the Contribution Award, and Wayne Newdick of Taumaranui sharing the Lifetime Legacy Award.

Held in the heart of the mighty Rangitīkei, the Central Districts Field Days at Manfield in Feilding attracted more than 27,000 people and generated $50 million in sales revenue. From farmers to foodies, tech-heads to townies, New Zealand’s largest regional field days had something for everyone.

It was great to host Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay for a day along with my neighbouring MPs over the three days including Carl Bates (Whanganui), Mike Butterick (Wairarapa), Tim Costley (Ōtaki) and Katie Nimon (Napier).

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards celebrate farmer and grower achievement and showcase sustainability and environmental stewardship. Congratulations to Stewart Dairylands for taking out the Supreme Award, as well as to Toa Toa Farming and Spring Farms for their respective awards. I also attended the regional final of the Young Farmer of the Year. Congratulations to Zayn Jones of the Fitzherbert Young Farmers for winning the regional title, and Rangitīkei local Sean Taylor of Massey Young Farmers for placing second. Feilding High School also performed well with Haley Baker and Mikayla Marshall coming second in the junior competition.

A very busy month indeed – great for rural and provincial New Zealand and for agribusiness. So many of our businesses large and small across the region are dependent on a buoyant agricultural sector – who we are and what we do as a region is definitely worth celebrating.

Suze Redmayne is the MP for Rangitīkei.