Fieldays and Federated Farmers to launch Rural Advocacy Hub

There will be a Rural Advocacy Hub at this year's Fieldays. Photo / Kim Gillespie

Fieldays and Federated Farmers have joined forces to establish a Rural Advocacy Hub at this year’s event at Mystery Creek.

Organisers said the Advocacy Hub would bring together New Zealand’s various rural organisations that champion farmers’ interests as “one team, under one roof, for the first time”.

They said it would also serve as a central platform for rural communities’ concerns.

So far there were almost a dozen exhibitors, including Federated Farmers, NZ Young Farmers, Groundswell, Rural Women NZ, Future Farmers NZ, and Farmers Weekly.

New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation said the hub would advance agriculture through education and collaboration.

“We know it’s incredibly tough out there this year. It’s never been more important for farmers to be heard and to have advocates amplifying their voices.”

Nation said Federated Farmers was a natural fit to partner with and bring the Hub to life.

Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford said the Hub built on the organisation’s vision to unite rural advocacy groups as one team supporting farmers.

“Farmers want to see the different advocacy groups who represent them working together constructively to get the best outcomes we can for our rural communities,” Langford said.

“If we work as a team, with everyone playing in the right position, we can achieve a lot more for farmers than any one organisation can working alone.

“This Hub will bring all of those players together under one roof for the first time and we look forward to continuing to build on the concept in future years”.

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Peter Nation about the Rural Advocacy Hub on The Country below:

Located on site D70, in the Gallagher Building, the Hub is the newest edition to the suite of Fieldays Hubs.

Other Hubs include Innovation, Careers & Education, Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing, Forestry, Digital Futures and Sustainability.