THAT Red River Stockyards sold all of its stock and used Borenore’s Australian National Field Days site as a clearing depot while deliveries arrived from its Tamworth headquarters is testimony to NSW’s hunger for stock gear.
Red River’s Tamworth manager Steve Dellow it was the best ANFD the company had experienced, and it’s been represented there for the past 11 years.
“It costs a lot to exhibit at field days, so we go there to sell, not display, and the result was great,” said Mr Dellow.
ANFD administrator Jayne West said about 19,000 people had passed through the gates, 5000 more than last year. She said good weather probably helped bolster crowd numbers, and there were no complaints from exhibitors.
Amos Water Tanks, Cowra, in proprietors’ Les and Kelly Felstead’s words, “had a blinder”, and they’re still running hard to deliver all tanks they have sold. “We’ve had to put another guy on to help us,” said Mrs Felstead.
“It’s by far the best field days we’ve had and we’ve been going there since 1992.”
She said Amos had sold about 15 120,000 litre tanks and orders were still coming in, and townspeople had also bought up big on slimline tanks. “At the moment there’s just not enough hours in the day.”
ANFD chairman Dan Toohey was pleased there were more visitors than in recent years and wasn’t surprised by big purchases. He said livestock prices were strong and that was represented in sales and also reflected the quality of the gear available and expectations on it.
“You’ve got crowding races, hydraulic crushes, the whole box and dice from animal welfare to occupational health and safety is covered. And people have had to sit on their hands for a few years too,” he said.