From livestock handling equipment to new crop varieties and sheep and cattle genetics, exhibitors have commented that interest across the board is firm. First-time exhibitor Sean Blenkin made the trip from New Zealand to show producers his Heckton sheep handler.

The device takes a lot of the physical labour out of lamb marking and crutching.

He said interest at Henty had been overwhelming. He said it was evident that the good saleyard prices were being filtered back into the manufacturing side of the rural industry. 

Franklin Air-Well pumps principal, Lou Veronese of Sydney said it inquiry at the field days this year was 100 per cent genuine.

“We haven’t had any tyre kickers, it is all valuable interest,” he said.

Mr Veronese also commended the field days committee on the state of the site given the heavy rainfall throughout southern NSW.

“I expected a flood … but it is holding up well,” he said. Edward Dale of Henty has never missed a Henty Machinery Field Days.

He said this year was the wettest by far. In fact, he was busy on day two helping to get bogged cars out of the car park.

Mr Dale said the wet weather certainly didn’t deter patrons and probably helped to promote some of the spending exhibitors had reported. During the three days he helped to run the vintage machinery site and also drove the courtesy bus. 

Up to 500 millimetres of in-crop rainfall drenched the agronomy plots at the field days site and boosted the new varieties of wheat being showcased by Baker Seed Company. Ashley Fraser of Baker Seed Company, Rutherglen, Victoria said hundreds of farmers had inspected the trial site each day of the field days. He said there was plenty of interest in the new dual purpose and grazing wheat varieties that would be suitable to the Riverina and southern NSW growing regions. 

Otto Suffolk Stud principal, David Lieschke of Walla has been exhibiting at Henty for three years. He said despite the focus on machinery interest in livestock and new genetics was growing at the event.