Today on National Agriculture Day thousands of Australians will celebrate the people who produce our food and fibre, providing a much-needed morale boost for farmers whose farms are being ravaged by floods and supply chains are thrown into chaos.
For the sixth AgDay, people will come together in high-rise offices, schools, homes and paddocks to learn and celebrate how Aussie farmers are not only growing high quality produce to feed and clothe us, but are adopting innovative technologies and practices to create safer and more sustainable farms.
NFF President Fiona Simson said many people didn't realise what modern farming looked like, with a survey commissioned by the NFF revealing only 18% of Australians agreed the sector was focused on innovation and improvement.
"This has prompted the AgDay theme 'Innovation in Agriculture' to shine a spotlight on the innovation our farmers use to move the dial on this misconception," she said.
"Along with more than 140 registered AgDay events, the NFF is hosting activations in Australia's two biggest cities, which will also be broadcast via the AustralianFarmers Facebook page so the whole country can have access to these special events.
"We will have farmers from across Australia beam into screens for live interviews about their farm and the innovations they use."
The audiences at the Sydney and Melbourne events will also be able to ask the farmers questions, as well as enjoy free farm produce, and be immersed in agriculture through a virtual reality experience in Sydney.
"After a two years of scaled-back events, AgDay is back and bigger than ever and it couldn't come at a better time," Ms Simson said.
"Devastating floods have swallowed crops and pastures and caused major infrastructure damage, creating heartache for farmers and food shortages in our supermarkets."
In NSW alone, a flood impact survey by NSW Farmers Association has found more than two-thirds of respondents have experienced their second consecutive year of flooding and more than three-quarters of farmers planted less than half their usual winter crop.
"These losses are significant and much of the damage isn't covered by insurance. We are now also facing serious supply chain issues that will further exacerbate the pain our sector is feeling," Ms Simson said.
"It's so important this AgDay that the Australian public rallies behind our farmers to let them know their work is valued."
How to celebrate AgDay
Aside from attending the AgDay events or tuning into the livestream, people can post a tribute to farmers on social media using the hashtag #AgDayAU - making sure they're wearing their I Love Farmers merchandise.
It's also a final call for entries to the AgDay photo and video competition, which close at 5pm AEDT today.
NFF AgDay 2022 events
When
8am - 2pm (AEDT)
Where
Sydney – Martin Place, between Pitt Street & Castlereagh Street
Melbourne – Southbank Spillway, Southbank Promenade, between Southgate Ave & Southbank Blvd
Online – the event is livestreamed to the AustralianFarmers Facebook page
Other registered public events can be found here.
