WIMMERA businesses are in for a busy week when thousands of people converge on Longerenong for the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.
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The three-day event will kick off on Tuesday.
Field days manager Murray Wilson said about 3000 to 4000 people from across Australia came to the Wimmera for the field days.
He said people were already spending money in town as a result of the event.
‘‘From an economic point of view it’s fantastic,’’ he said.
‘‘The marquee companies have been here for a few weeks now and have been eating in town, paying for services and spending money.
‘‘From a packet of chewing gum or a can of drink to buying major supplies, the spending is already fantastic.’’
Mr Wilson said most accommodation venues in Horsham were booked out during the event.
‘‘That then creates a spill over to other rural towns in the Wimmera,’’ he said.
‘‘There will be machinery worth $200 million on display at the event and there are estimates the field days create up to $50 million in trade in the three days.
‘‘It is a showcase of information and equipment that can be purchased, but field days business also continues for the rest of the year.
‘‘You will find people are looking at stuff for three days and won’t buy a thing, but will then ring up in August about a tractor they saw. It’s a 12-month event for the exhibitors.’'
Mr Wilson said the field days site was a hive of activity at the moment.
‘‘It is definitely busy – we have a forklift service for companies, which ramps up the action at the site,’’ he said.
‘‘There are machines everywhere, trucks everywhere.
"There is grass cutting and slashing and farm sculptures are arriving ready for judging.
"The weather is looking pretty good for the three days and all the exhibitors are getting enthusiastic.’’
Mr Wilson said the committee would have its final major working bee tomorrow.
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the Wimmera Machinery Field Days was not only a great display of the biggest and best agricultural machinery, but also an important social day out for the Wimmera’s farming communities.
‘‘This year represents an exciting time for our region as opportunities grow on the back of unprecedented demand for grain and meat from China and a surge in grain shipments to Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates,’’ she said.