FARMERS from throughout the Wimmera and Mallee will converge on Birchip on Wednesday to discuss agribusiness, technology and succession planning.
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Birchip Cropping Group will host its annual future farmers expo at the town’s school.
Group event manage Ciara Cullen said last year’s expo ran in a new format and this year would be the same.
The expo downsized last year to feature exhibits and discussions on specific topics, instead of covering a broad range of areas.
Ms Cullen said the format worked well last year.
“We basically found a niche market that we could tap into and it will focus mostly on business management, precision agriculture and succession planning,” she said.
“There is no other event in the region that covers these topics specifically.
“We have tweaked the event slightly from last year after feedback we received from farmers and exhibitors.
“We will try to create a better atmosphere this year and we will have all the sessions in the one area.
“This will try to bring everyone together and ensure no one is left out.”
Ms Cullen said about 300 to 400 people would attended the event.
“We get quite a few people from outside the state as well, from areas in NSW and South Australia,” she said.
Murtoa’s Andy and Chris Delahunty will share their experiences as farmer board members at the expo, explaining how it operates and what it achieves for their farm business.
Sea Lake farmer Bryan Hanns and Kaniva farmer Sam Eastwood will discuss the practical pros and cons of adding a sheep and hay enterprise to the farm business.
Other presentations will focus on farm enterprise mix, the climate outlook for the year, precision agriculture and there will be an update on the Russian wheat aphid.
Ms Cullen said the expo was a good professional development opportunity for farmers.
“It’s in a central location in the region and it’s an opportunity to learn more about succession planning, business management, climate manage and technology,” she said.