Agfest a key to farming smarter

All roads lead to Carrick next week for Agfest, the annual showcase of the state’s rural industries that provides living proof why farming in Tasmania is the best job in the world.

Without doubt, Agfest is one of our best selling tools. At Agfest, town meets country and, incrementally, town begins to understand country. Just as importantly town starts to support country and that’s what we need most, the support of the whole community for Tasmanian agriculture.

It’s all very well farmers telling governments what they need to maximise their production and their potential. It is far better for us if non-farmers tell them the same thing. There is nothing like third-party endorsement.

Rural Youth does a fantastic job each year staging Agfest. These people are a machine. The additional support they receive from volunteers outside of farming is invaluable for us as an industry as well. It all helps to spread the word and the understanding.

These are some of the service organisations and community groups who provide volunteers to help Agfest run so smoothly: the Rotary clubs of Westbury and Tamar Sunrise, the Lions Club of Westbury, the Summerhill Scout Group, the Motton Preston Scout Troop, the Penguin Leo Club, Tamar Sea Scouts, Tasmanian Mounted Search & Rescue, the Breastfeeding Association of Australia, Girl Guides and the SES.

All of these groups are deeply rooted in their communities and many of them are urban-based.

Last year, despite a wet Friday, nearly 60,000 people passed through the gates. That’s more than 10 per cent of the population.

A key audience for us is young people; young people who may be casting about for a career and who may never have thought of farming or getting the skills for businesses and professions associated with farming. Agfest opens their eyes.

Tasmanian agriculture has a formidable task ahead of it: to increase farm production from the present level of about $2 billion a year to $10 billion by the year 2050. We can’t achieve that by simply getting bigger and growing more. You will recall there are limitations on the land we can convert to farming. We achieve it by greater productivity; farming better; getting better technical and professional advice; getting good data; crunching the numbers; farming smarter.

By showcasing the breadth of our industry, we engage with those who ultimately can help us most.

The TFGA will be prominent at Agfest again this year. There is a new location, 811 Eighth Avenue, next to DPIPWE.

Like previous years it is going to be the place to duck into, put your bags down, slip into a seat, have a coffee, relax and talk farming. Away from the madding crowd.

You’ll find all our business partners at that site: the ANZ Bank, WFI, KPMG and AustSafe Super, Sheep Connect, Tasmanian Irrigation, SFM Forest Products, the Australian Veterinary Association, Agility Logistics, Private Forests Tasmania, the National Harvest Labour Information Service, Forico and TFGA Weeds Committee.
TFGA president Wayne Johnston