HMFD chief Belinda Anderson (left) with the all-female administrative team (Bec Clancy, Heather Barrett, Tania Knobel, Kayla Muller, Donna Taylor, Janice Terlich, Felicity Klemke and Kim Woods) credited with being the ‘engine room’ of the long-standing Riverina event. Photo: Supplied.
The steady sound of rain on rooftops has delivered a welcome reprieve for Riverina farmers as Henty Machinery Field Days chief Belinda Anderson reports renewed confidence in the agricultural sector despite adverse seasonal conditions.
The 2025 field days, to be held on 23 – 25 September, has experienced its strongest bookings to date, according to Mrs Anderson, who urged anyone planning to exhibit this year to book quickly.
She said although seasonal conditions had not been favourable, commodity prices remained strong, buoying confidence among exhibitors.
“We currently have sold out of sites larger than 20 x 20 metres – this has never happened before this far out from the field days,” she said.
“While there are plenty of other sizes available, space is becoming limited.”
The arrival of forecasted rain on Thursday afternoon had farmers across this region breathing a sigh of relief while elsewhere heavy rain and flooding has wreaked devastation across a large tract of Australia’s east coast.
An aerial photograph posted by Farmer Down Under on social media on 17 May provided a stark picture of the drought conditions facing much of the Riverina.
This photograph posted by Farmer Down Under on Facebook was taken just northeast of Wagga on 17 May showing the countryside ‘looking extremely dry’. Photo: Supplied.
Mrs Anderson said this rain would help take the pressure off and assist with winter cropping programs but follow-up would be vital.
“Those relying on grazing will need some pasture growth quickly now to avoid a hard winter,” she said.
“Livestock will still be hand fed for some time yet until crops and pastures have enough growth to sustain them.”
Mrs Anderson proudly wears two hats in the agricultural sector – as the CEO of the HMFD team for the past 11 years and on the family farm of 3500 acres at Pulletop, in the southeast Riverina.
She feels a deep, personal connection to the field days: “It’s what I do as a full-time job and what I do at home,” she said.
“Agriculture is not just machinery; it’s agronomy, it’s financial services, it’s a whole range of sectors … Henty is an incredible opportunity to see the technology and advancements made and the people and companies who take real pride in what they do.”
As the first female CEO of the HMFD, Mrs Anderson said it was also rewarding to witness the rise of women in agriculture.
“It’s become the norm now,” she said.
“Within the HMFD team itself, we say it’s led by men and driven by women (with an all-male board of directors and all-female administrative team). They call us the engine room and if that’s humming then everything runs really well!”
Mrs Anderson conceded it had been a “tough start” to the season but was encouraged by the strong response to exhibitor bookings for Henty this far out.
Billed as the single biggest agricultural event in southern Australia, showcasing more than $250 million in agricultural and agribusiness machinery and products, the three-day extravaganza featured 830 exhibitors on 1200 sites representing more than 3500 companies in 2024.
“Our track record, history and professionalism bring this event to life,” Mrs Anderson said.
“The thing about the Henty Machinery Field Days is this is an event marked on the calendar – it’s one of those iconic events you have to be at.”
More than just a place to do business or buy products, Mrs Anderson said Henty was “a special place to connect”.
“It’s about putting faces to the names behind emails, catching up with the people you sold grain to or meeting friends from further afield and spending the day together,” she said.
“It’s also about the communities that belong to the field days.”
Now in its 62nd year, Henty is renowned as the friendly field days, according to Mrs Anderson.
“Exhibitors enjoy the congenial atmosphere, social networking and opportunity to display their latest products to an engaged audience of around 50,000,” she said.
“But it’s not only our exhibitors who love Henty. Previous surveys have revealed 78 per cent of visitors have been to the event in previous years an incredible nine times.
“It is, quite simply, an institution on the farming calendar.”
