Victorian Agricultural Shows chief calls for field days financial lifeline from Regional Minister Jaclyn Symes

Victorian Agricultural Shows executive officer Rod Bowles has called on the State Government to throw field day committees a financial lifeline due to coronavirus cancellations.

Sungold Field Days has been cancelled for 2021.

A FINANCIAL lifeline for Victoria’s field day committees needs immediate Spring St attention, the state’s ag show chief says.

Victorian Agricultural Shows executive officer Rod Bowles has called on the State Government to intervene after a number of direct appeals to Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes went unanswered.

Coronavirus restrictions have forced the cancellation of all field days in Victoria for the rest of 2020. Organisers of the 2021 Sungold Field Days also already pulled the pin on next year’s Allansford event.

“There’s been federal support for agricultural shows through a federal package but the situation with the field days has been overlooked,” Mr Bowles said.

“We tried to raise this with direct calls to the Victorian Agriculture Minister’s office, emails to the ministerial office, even through (Bendigo East MP) Jacinta Allan’s office. We’ve heard nothing back yet. It’s important our field days are supported now otherwise we’ll lose them in the years ahead.”

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture Minister said the matters raised by the VAS would be “discussed with the committee directly.”

“The Victorian Government understands the critical importance of the agriculture and food sector and is working to ensure our farms and agribusinesses continue operating,” the spokeswoman said.

The work of agricultural field days committees will be vital to supporting Victorian agriculture as restrictions are gradually eased.

Last week, Lardner Park chief executive Craig Debnam told The Weekly Times of the financial impost of cancelling Farm World for the first time in 57 years.

“We’ve slipped through the gaps — field days, events, suppliers, marquee providers, grandstand providers are all affected,” he said.

“It’s an industry all of it’s own and with all the peripheral aspects of it — we’re talking billions of dollars across the industry.”

A federal package for agricultural shows was unveiled by Deputy PM Michael McCormack last month. Up to $10,000 can be claimed for shows that attract crowds of less than 2000 people; up to $15,000 can be claimed for shows with 2000-5000 attendees; and up to $70,000 can be claimed for large shows with 5000-plus usually in attendance.

The VAS calendar has been mostly wiped clean for 2020, with Naracoorte (October 17), Jeparit (October 18) and Kilmore (December 15) the only remaining events yet to be cancelled.

“Some committees couldn’t form a quorum until recently, so there have been some delays with the cancellation process. Some other committees with shows in early 2021 are waiting to see how things pan out,” Mr Bowles said.

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