Cow power was to the fore at the NZ Dairy Expo. Photo / Steve Edwards
The 2026 New Zealand Dairy Expo has received rave reviews from farmers and site‑holders.
Coordinator Amanda Hodgson was “very pleased” with the third edition of the dairy‑only event, held recently in Matamata.
A full house of 174 exhibitors set up shop at Bedford Park for the two‑day expo, up from 130 last year.
Preliminary figures show more than 1000 people attended each day.
Visitors included farmers from the South Island, Northland, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay.
“We had all the sites we could accommodate, with good numbers attending,” Hodgson said.
Apart from sporadic light showers, Bedford Park was bathed in sunshine for this year’s event.
Hodgson said a small team worked hard to put the expo together.
“But it’s getting easier every year, now we’ve done it a few times.”
Sites covered a wide cross‑section of large and small businesses offering a range of goods and services related to the dairy industry.
These included farm machinery suppliers, excavation contractors, and specialists in effluent disposal and water supply.
Also present were dairy farm technology advisers covering everything from milking to mating, including animal health and welfare.
Farmer‑support services such as Rural Support and Federated Farmers were also represented.
Martin Prescott, production manager at Matamata‑based farm effluent systems company Reid & Harrison, thoroughly enjoyed this year’s expo.
“We had good inquiry,” he said.
“It was very positive. Farmers are pretty happy.”
Reid & Harrison has attended all three editions of the NZ Dairy Expo at Bedford Park.
“It’s right up our avenue,” Prescott said.
“Just dairying. An added bonus is it’s right on our doorstep.”
Prescott said there was more foot traffic at this year’s event, and the company was already planning to return for the 2027 expo.
Matamata dry‑stock farmer and former dairyman David Wearne, who worked on the Takanini Feeds site, said the dairy‑only focus meant farmers knew exactly what they wanted to talk about and see.
“It’s really good,” he said.
“We caught up with existing clients and potential new ones. It’s a great PR thing.”
Wearne has attended all three expos, the first two on the Federated Farmers stand.
“The layout is excellent,” he said.
“It’s not too packed.”
He said farmers were feeling positive heading into autumn.
“They were buying as well as talking.”
Sam Mathis, director of Tauranga‑based solar panel and battery installation company Supreme Solar, said the NZ Dairy Expo was a great event.
“I was very impressed with the quality of sites,” he said.
Supreme Solar has exhibited at all three expos.
“We had some good chats with farmers. It was pretty busy,” Mathis said.
“We probably got more leads than in previous years.”
He said the expo works perfectly for Supreme Solar, with dairy farmers being the company’s key market.
“We’ll be back next year.”
Tatuanui‑based Leask Engineering was another company returning for its third NZ Dairy Expo.
“It’s a good fit for us,” managing director David Leask said.
“It’s a good dairy‑focused event which suits us and is local.”
Leask said the expo was also at the right time of year for his company, with farmers planning projects to be completed when herds are dried off.
“Winter is when a bulk of our work is done.”
He said the expo gives farmers the opportunity to talk directly about the products and services the company offers.
“They want to touch it and not just see it on a website.”
Next year’s NZ Dairy Expo will again be held in February at Bedford Park. Dates are to be confirmed.