Jo Palmer,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
Agfest started back in 1983, and 40 years later is still going strong as one of Tasmania’s iconic events.
It was an honour to celebrate Agfest’s 40th Anniversary Dinner with Rural Youth Tasmania and members of the farming community, and reflect on the significance of this milestone achievement.
When the first Agfest took place at its original Symmons Plains site in May 1983, the two-day event attracted an impressive crowd of 9,000 patrons and 111 exhibitors.
Today, Agfest is renowned as one of the best examples of agricultural field days, attracting more than 60,000 attendees and 700 exhibitors to its current Carrick site prior to the pandemic.
This year’s Agfest will be held in the paddock from 24 – 27 August, followed by an online ‘cloud’ event from 27 August to 2 September.
I commend past and present members of Rural Youth Tasmania for their dedication to organising and running the event each year with the help of the Rural Youth Tasmania Board and the Agfest Organising Committee.
Many of these young Tasmanians have become leaders in agriculture, building on skills gained through their volunteer and development roles.
Collectively, Agfest contributes up to $40 million to the Tasmanian economy each year, with hundreds of businesses relying on Agfest trade and networking opportunities to improve their growth and profitability.
Our Government has long been a supporter of Rural Youth and Agfest, and we welcome the fantastic opportunity the event provides for people to engage with and learn about our programs and services.
Earlier this year we announced funding of up to $850,000 to Rural Youth Tasmania to help ensure the continuation of Agfest and the growth and sustainability of the organisation.
Agfest is a testament to Rural Youth and all the exhibitors and Tasmanians who supported the event as it continued to grow, both in size and reputation, to the wonderful event that it is today.
Agriculture is an extraordinary industry and I look forward to returning to Quercus Park for Agfest later this year.
