Ag Town of the Year: Five finalists selected

Almost 5000 public votes were cast to choose the five finalists from 70 nominations across the state.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham said it was exciting to see the public get involved in casting their vote for their favourite ag town.

"After the success of the inaugural Ag Town of the Year award, we decided to get the public even more involved through voting for the top five finalists," Mr Basham said.

"It is fantastic to see a cross-section of agricultural commodities and regional communities in the final five representing the SA regions of the Mid North, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, the Murray Mallee and the Adelaide Hills.

"This year has been challenging for all agricultural industries with drought, bushfires and coronavirus market disruptions.

Related reading: Inaugural ag town title goes to Cleve

"Our regional towns and communities often support our agricultural industries and help them to manage through hardship and prosper.

"This award allows us to recognise the important role our farmers and the agriculture sector plays in our everyday lives, whether it's growing grains to make our bread, crushing grapes to make premium wine or milking cows to produce our valued dairy products."

In the next phase of the competition, an independent panel of experienced judges will visit the five finalist towns early next year.

The panel is made up of Regional Development SA chair and Primary Producers SA executive chair Rob Kerin, SA Regional Organisation of Councils chair and Naracoorte Lucindale Council mayor Erika Vickery, South Aussie with Cosi's Andrew 'Cosi' Costello, AgCommunicators' Belinda Cay, Livestock SA president Joe Keynes, Wine Grape Council of SA business manager Lisa Bennier and Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA chief executive officer John Rothwell.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the SA Regional Showcase was postponed for this year, with the Ag Town of the Year award winner instead being crowned at the revised showcase early in 2021.

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