Many of SA’s communities are built on a foundation of agriculture.
For generations, farming families have not only put food on our tables but contributed significantly to their local community.
At home in the Riverland, the link between farming families and the community is very evident. For example, football and netball clubs often have a lack of player availability due to harvest and seeding and the community accepts the importance of that time of year for the farmers and their families.
Agriculture is not only the backbone of our regional economies but it provides significant employment opportunities, particularly in the service sector.
That’s why last month I announced a new Ag Town of the Year Award while I was visiting a Mid North feedlot on National Agriculture Day, November 21.
Agriculture is not only the backbone of our regional economies but it provides significant employment opportunities, particularly in the service sector.
The award aims to highlight the vital role agriculture plays in our communities, and recognise towns supporting and promoting primary industries in all their facets.
It will acknowledge the positive impact agriculture has on regional towns and the flow-on effect this has on a township, on community members and on the state.
As we know, our regional communities already contribute more than 50 per cent of SA’s merchandise exports with less than 30pc of the state’s population.
While the guidelines for the award will be out soon, I’ve already had community representatives contact my office to tell me they’ve got the ideal agriculture town.
There has been plenty of interest in the concept from agriculture-based towns.
In many regional towns, the plaques from previous Tidy Towns Awards are still proudly on display and I hope Ag Town of the Year, once established, will instil the same pride in our regional towns.