Local Focus: East Coast Farming Expo a 'boutique' experience

It's a popular fixture on the rural calendar, tailor-made for sheep and beef farmers.

The East Coast Farming Expo at the Wairoa Showgrounds is continuing to grow each year.

Event director Dave Martin said the two-day programme on February 26 and February 27 focused on innovation and technology for sheep and beef farmers.

"It's a bit of an area that's been missing and especially on the East Coast, where we have got to travel a long way to get to the likes of Central Districts or Mystery Creek," he said.

Wairoa farmer Sefton Alexander said compared with Waikato's Mystery Creek, the southern hemisphere's largest agricultural event, the East Coast Farming Expo was a "boutique" experience.

"It is certainly not on the scale of Mystery Creek but I think what's here is relevant for East Coast farming," he said.

Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Rural Communities Damien O'Connor was a special guest.

He took an active interest in new technology - testing the full range of electric vehicles.

He said too often the East Coast was overlooked.

"I think there is a significant farming sector up here on the East Coast and it's nice to come along to talk to the farmers. There's a few concerns they have around forestry and farming so I've met with two groups this morning and meeting with people as I wander around."

The success of the expo, now in its fifth year, took Wairoa Mayor Craig Little by surprise.

He said five years ago he would have thought organisers Sue and Fenton Wilson "were dreaming" for staging a farming expo.

"Today I pulled up and saw all these people and I think it's great," he said.

The largest display at the expo belonged to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council northern catchment manager Nathan Heath said the council had supported the event from its inception.

"This expo is trying to represent the importance of technology and farming," he said.

"The sharing of information is really crucial to the long-term sustainability of our farming systems.

"We want to get our own message across as well. There are a lot of opportunities for landowners to get financial support from council.

"At the moment we are also here to help them navigate what's coming in the future with freshwater reforms, emissions trading schemes and that sort of thing."

The event also featured a sold-out luncheon with New Zealand Business Hall of Famer Mavis Mullins.

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