In another major coronavirus blow to rural and regional Australia both the AgQuip and Farmfest field days have been cannned.
Both field days are owned by Australian Community Media (ACM), publisher of this website.
The scrapping of AgQuip and Farmfest will add more pressure to a campaign by the Association of Agricultural Field Days of Australasia (AAFDA) to persuade the the federal and state governments to provide emergency aid to get the events through the COVID-19 crisis.
Group Manager of ACM Rural Events, Kate Nugent, said it would be the first time AgQuip near Gunnedah in north west NSW had been cancelled in its 48-year history.
The three-day event, which draws around 100,000 visitors from across Australia, is usually held in August but had been postponed until November.
Motels in Gunnedah and surrounding region are usually booked out while pubs, clubs and restaurants are packed with visitors.
"Fourteen per cent of our exhibitors come from Victoria and a high percentage of Victorians visit Australia's biggest agricultural field days," Ms Nugent said.
After three tough years of drought, interest in the field days was stronger than what was seen in 2019, she said.
Farmfest field days near Toowoomba had been rescheduled for October 13-15 but has now been scrapped for this year.
"Following exhaustive consultation with federal and state government, public health authorities and agencies, and due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic restrictions these 'rescheduled' field day events can not proceed in 2020," Ms Nugent said.
"It was time to make the call to cancel these events considering the size, scale and complexity and we needed surety in order to proceed.
"The new lockdown controls now in Victoria and the potential for further re-imposition of restrictions in NSW have created further uncertainty.
"Our decision is primarily based on our concern for the public health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees and staff.
"It was to be the 45th staging of FarmFest and the second-time FarmFest had been cancelled.
"Our plan is to roll out with the 2021 prospectus for both events within the month with a financial imperative - and with new digital marketing proposals - we are focused on a bigger and brighter return for our field days than ever before - and plan to launch a new event in March next year."
The next FarmFest field days near Toowoomba will be next staged on June 8-10 in 2021.
AgQuip field days will be held on August 17 to 19 August next year.
Ms Nugent said members of AAFDA were working together as a united front to present and gain an understanding from the federal and state governments of their plight.
"We are seeking funding to financially support us all this COVID year.
"We will further investigate other funding opportunities across business, arts, tourism platforms."
Vernon Graham
Former editor of The Land, former Fairfax Media Agricultural Editor
Former editor of The Land, former Fairfax Media Agricultural Editor
