THOUSANDS of people will converge on the Wimmera next month for the 55th annual Wimmera Machinery Field Days.
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The three-day event will be at the Wimmera Events Centre at Longerenong from March 7 to 9.
Field days manager Murray Wilson said the event would draw exhibitors from across the country.
He said the site at Longerenong would transform into one of the largest mass gatherings of agricultural machinery, farming equipment and regional business in Australia
“Following a bumper harvest for the entire region there will be more than $300 million dollars of brand new agricultural machinery on site,” he said.
Mr Wilson said the field days provided a significant economic benefit to the Wimmera, injecting more than $3 million directly into the economy each year.
“Economic benefits continue well beyond the three-day event in sales enquiries and business,” he said.
“Conservative estimates suggest the three days generate more than $50 million in trade.”
Mr Wilson said farming remained the key focus of the March event but a push into rural culture and lifestyle was a natural progression in understanding and acknowledging the different types of people who made up country life.
“Farming machinery and agribusiness remain our key focus each year but rural society has diverse interests,” he said.
“We‟re always looking at ways of keeping the event fresh and alive, and of course recognising the change and diversity of rural lifestyle in the region.”
Mr Wilson said it was fantastic to have such a massive event in this part of Victoria.
“The benefits are outstanding and it is well recognised as one of Australia‟s major agricultural field days.‟
Field days committee past president David Jochinke said volunteers and committee members would attend working bees each Saturday until the event to get the site ready.
“There were reasonable numbers at the first working bee and everyone is flat out getting site knocked into shape,” he said.
Mr Jochinke said he hoped optimism among farmers would be up at this year’s field days after a good harvest.
“After reasonable volume this season, hopefully people will have bit of money, which improves our chances of better field days than the past two,” he said.