Horticulture set to shine | Rural

The June 6 Eastern Horticultural Field Day will quickly become a national event, says Hawke's Bay A&P; Society general manager Brent Linn.

"Something that is missing in the field day landscape is a national horticultural field day," he said.

"The society already has a long association with the pastoral side of farming but, because Hawke's Bay is a significant horticulture area, there is an opportunity regionally and even nationally for it to host."

He said the event was building on a solid foundation thanks to fruitgrowers.

"We have been hosting the ICE Expo for three years now. We have also been running an event which was the small block field days and grew into the Eastern Field Day and the society realised we were essentially competing for the same audience - the same trade exhibitors and visiting public.

"So we talked with fruitgrowers about the opportunity to combine our two events and make a signature horticultural field day. They were very receptive to that idea and we are developing it together.

"The Eastern Horticultural Field Day will become host for fruitgrowers to run their sector programme and we are encouraging other sectors to also use the field day to run their sector initiatives so it becomes by industry, for industry.

"It creates a networking opportunity across all of the horticultural sectors and provides a stage for horticulture to talk about how it is important to the community economically and represent itself as a valid career option and provide a forum for industry issues."

Mr Linn said sponsorship was filling fast and there was strong interest from exhibitors.

"We want to cement it as a regional event this year over the next two years with the plan that within five years it will be the national horticultural field days."

The Field Day venue will be in the showgrounds' secure area: the exhibition hall, grandstand, outdoor exhibition and demonstration areas plus a seminar room in the grandstand.