While the outcome of submissions is yet to be determined, Federated Farmers has commissioned a ground-truthing study, an evaluation plan and financially assisted a hill country farmers' economic analysis as well as constantly monitoring and refining the science that PC1 has been based on.
I would challenge those farmers who have been critical of our effort to read and compare the Federated Farmers' submission on PC1 and then to come along to our stand at the Fieldays to discuss your thoughts and opinions with myself and policy staff.
Policy is member-driven and members' views are canvassed by staff and elected representatives who formulate submissions to help local and central government decision making - and indeed we canvassed extensively before completing our PC1 submission.
There is still a lot of conjecture and misinformation out there in the regions despite Past President Chris Lewis and other elected members' attempts to keep everyone informed.
The Fieldays will provide all farmers a great opportunity to ask questions on a one-on-one basis with Federated Farmers staff.
Our site is PB46. I challenge all those farmers who want to know more to come talk to us and get an opportunity for some great giveaways, prizes, and product specials.
Health hub
If your health is badly compromised, then pretty much everything else is going to take a back seat.
The major new feature at Mystery Creek in 2017 is the Fieldays Health Hub.
"We've hosted health agencies in the past but they've exhibited under their own steam and in their own areas," National Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says. "It's such a crucial aspect these days, we wanted to make it more prominent.
"If we want 50,000 new people into agriculture by 2025, whether they're single or they have families they need confidence there will be health support in the rural areas, whether that's GPs, mobile or virtual services, high-speed broadband so they can research stuff themselves."
The Health Hub is an interactive and non-threatening space designed to educate and inform visitors about health issues affecting rural communities.
Lee Picken, National Fieldays head of events, says farmers don't always have the opportunity to get off the farm for health checks.
"It's really important to have this at Fieldays - it's a great platform for health professionals to start that conversation."
Mobile Health is a key partner in the Health Hub, and its mobile surgical bus will be a cornerstone of the site. For 10 months of the year the bus travels from Kaikohe to Balclutha, performing scheduled day surgeries in small towns and rural centres. Fieldays visitors will be able to watch a mock surgery.
Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) CEO Michelle Thompson said rural people are losing out when it comes to health.
"Of the scant data that exists, we know that the health outcomes for rural people are poorer than for urban people," she says. "It makes good economic sense for the Government to focus on the people supporting the rural economy."
Cancer affects the rural community at a higher rate than the national average.
Fieldays will have a giant inflatable bowel from Bowel Cancer New Zealand for people to walk through.
The Health Hub will also host expert speakers doing free 'MED Talks' - 10-minute health presentations.
There will be displays on heart health, cholesterol, diabetes with opportunities for check-ups. The aim is to keep it fun, non-threatening but educational, says Mark Eager, general manager of Mobile Health.
We want to make it funky and interactive."