We have to a lot to thank our farmers for and the 2021 Fieldays is a great opportunity to celebrate everything they do for our country, says Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good.
The return of Fieldays – New Zealand's premier agriculture and primary industries expo – is a sure sign that we are getting back to normality, he says.
"It is important to give recognition to our farmers, many of whom did not take a break over the lockdown period, instead working throughout and ensuring our nation's vital food production and exports remained unimpeded."
Fieldays was unable to be held physically last year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Good said the National Fieldays Society did a fantastic job of hosting the event virtually but the lack of economic benefits to the Waikato region the event brings every year was sorely missed.
"The 2018 Fieldays generated $492m of sales revenue for New Zealand and created over 2000 jobs nationwide ($168m and 860 jobs for the Waikato alone) proving that the Fieldays is an incredibly important event for our country as a whole."