Prime Minister officially opens Fieldays 2015

Prime Minister officially opens Fieldays 2015

Crowds filled the Village Green to see Prime Minister John Key officially open the 47th NZ National Agricultural Fieldays®, along with NZ National Fieldays SocietyTM President Warwick Roberts.

The Prime Minister arrived at Mystery Creek this morning and greeted Fieldays visitors before giving his midday Opening Ceremony speech.

Prime Minister Key said there is an importance for innovation in the farming and science sector to lift New Zealand’s profitability at the ceremony.

Key also talked about the current economic struggle of dairy farmers and the effect of the PSA virus on kiwifruit growers.

NZ National Fieldays Society CEO Jon Calder encouraged people to visit the Fieldays Innovation Centre and Fieldays Innovation Accelerator to see the best of Kiwi innovation and ingenuity.

“Fieldays’ mission is to advance New Zealand agriculture and with the Fieldays Innovation Centre, Innovation Accelerator and Innovation Den, we have an incredible number of Kiwi entrepreneurs making a difference to the way we farm,” said Calder.

The ceremony also included the raising of Fieldays and New Zealand flags by the Rural Women NZ, and the singing of the New Zealand national anthem.

The event was MC’ed by television personality Te Radar, and guests in the crowd included Minister of Science and Innovation Hon. Steven Joyce, Speaker of the House Rt Hon. David Carter, Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew, and Government delegates from Korea and Tonga.

Korean delegates are attending Fieldays for the first time after Prime Minister Key’s successful trip to Korea earlier this year where the free-trade agreement between Korea and New Zealand was signed.

In celebration of the free-trade agreement, Fieldays is hosting the first-ever Korean Pavilion, with eight ag- industry exhibitors from Korea.

[ENDS]

© Scoop Media