Events
AFIA hosts a number of events throughout the year to provide members with the opportunity to engage directly with other growers and supply chain participants, including our sponsors.
Included in this line up is AFIA’s premier National Fodder Conference which is held every year, and the Fodder Festival which is held every second year.
Combined 2023 National Fodder Conference + Fodder Festival = Fodderganza!
In 2023 we have merged our two premier events into one three-day extravaganza, combining our biennial Fodder Festival with our annual National Fodder Conference. We hope everyone will join us for this event which promises to be action packed!
Join us in Elmore and Bendigo, Victoria.
Fodder Festival in Elmore – Tuesday 15 August, 2023.
See the latest machinery and technology in action.
The 2023 Fodder Festival is an opportunity for all entities involved in hay and silage to demonstrate their products directly to their target audience. The day will commence with machinery demonstrations. A ryegrass crop will be available for the participating machinery entities. The latter half of the day is an opportunity for non-machinery suppliers to demonstrate their tools and technologies to attendees. This will be a ‘moving event’ with the audience moving from one timed demonstration to another. In the event of wet weather, the event will move indoors and utilise the large pavilion at the Elmore Field Day site.
National Fodder Conference in Bendigo – Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 August, 2023
This event brings together the fodder community, government and stakeholders to discuss key issues and innovations.
The 2023 National Fodder Conference will see those engaged in the production of fodder, and fodder customers, gather to discuss and debate industry issues, new technologies and research and development opportunities. This event will take a traditional conference format with a large exhibition area indoors and an outdoor machinery display. Trade booth and sponsorship opportunities are still available.
DEMONSTRATION, EXHIBITION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN 2023?
All major hay and silage supply chain providers are attending the 2023 Fodderganza!
2023 Fodder Festival: Fodder Festival major demonstrators include New Holland, Kuhn and Krone who will put their machinery to the test in the paddock.
2023 National Fodder Conference: AFIA is pleased to announce that John Deere is the major sponsor for the 2023 National Fodder Conference. The event will include a large trade and exhibition hall indoors, and a major machinery display outdoors.
Get up-to-date with the latest fodder industry machinery, tools, products and news … all in a central spot at the National Fodder Conference exhibition hall. Exhibitors will be listed below in due course…
WHAT IS THE FODDER FESTIVAL?
The AFIA Fodder Festival is a biennial event at which all the latest hay and silage equipment is demonstrated or on display at the one venue. Unlike a traditional field day, at the Fodder Festival all machinery operators put machines to the test in the paddock, in a crop specially grown for the event. The machinery demonstrations are followed by demonstrations from other fodder supply chain equipment providers and participants including the latest in silage wrap technologies and new ag chem products.
AFIA held the first event in 2018. In 2021, major companies put their machines to the test in a ‘big square bale-off’. You can see them here: New Holland, Kuhn and Krone!
We look forward to delivering all the action from the industry’s major players all in one place in August.
PROGRAMS
More detailed programs for both events will be available soon, however the days look like this:
| Monday 14 August | Tuesday 15 August | Wednesday 16 August | Thursday 17 August |
| DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | |
| Exhibitors bump-in/Fodder Festival set-up |
Fodder Festival Elmore Field Days Site – 48 Rosaia Road, Elmore |
National Fodder Conference All Seasons Resort Hotel – 171/183 McIvor Highway Bendigo |
National Fodder Conference
|
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EVENING:National Fodder Conference – Welcome Function Bendigo |
EVENING:National Fodder Conference – Gala Dinner Bendigo |
TICKETS
Registrations will open in June 2023.
Fodder Festival
| Member | $45 |
| Non-Member with membership* | $99 |
| Non-Member | $55 |
* Non-members have the special opportunity to purchase AFIA Membership with their Fodder Festival ticket for $99! This membership will run for 7 months from 1 September 2023 to 31 March 2024.
National Fodder Conference
| Early Bird – Member | $775.00 |
| Early Bird – Non-Member | $900.00 |
| GenAg | $500.00 |
| Member Partner | $500.00 |
| Non-Member Partner | $600.00 |
| Single Day (Any) | $500.00 |
| Welcome Function – Member | $100.00 |
| Welcome Function – Non- Member | $150.00 |
| Gala Dinner only – Member | $150.00 |
| Gala Dinner only – Non-Member | $200.00 |
| Member | $875.00 |
| Non-Member | $1,000.00 |
Refund policy for both events – Cancellations received before the 29 July 2023 will be given a 100% refund, excluding transaction fees. Cancellations between 29 July and 7 August 2023 will be given a 50% discount excluding transaction fees. Cancellations on or after 7 August 2023 will not be eligible for a refund. Additionally, ticket transfers will not be accepted. If an attendee cannot attend and another person is attending in their place, please cancel the original ticket and order a new ticket.
TRAVEL
Just 40 minutes away from Bendigo, the Fodder Festival will be held at the Elmore Field Days venue.
The National Fodder Conference will be held in Bendigo. With a population of around 100,000, Bendigo is located near the geographical centre of Victoria, and it is approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Melbourne.
ACCOMMODATION
WHAT TO SEE AROUND THE REGION
COVID SAFETY
All National Fodder Conference attendees will be required to follow any COVID guidelines in place in Victoria at the time of the event in August.
National Fodder Conference 2022
2022 NATIONAL FODDER CONFERENCE Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 July, 2022 After a long two years of restrictions, lockdowns and mandates, we are very excited to be planning a long-awaited fodder family catch-up in sunny Queensland. DESTINATION Empire...
Annual General Meetings
2023 AGM
The Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in association with the 2023 National Fodder Conference in August. More details will be available soon.
2023 Director nomination
The Australian Fodder Industry Association invites applications from members wishing to be considered for appointment as a Director of the Association.
Under the AFIA Constitution [8.1(e)] only those members who have held an AFIA membership for two years are eligible to nominate for a Board position. Board members are elected for a three-year term. Interested members are asked to read the Director 2023 nomination form to review the background and process, including the details required. The form and the application closing date will be available soon.
2022 AGM
The Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held in association with the 2022 National Fodder Conference on Tuesday 26 July 2022, at the Empire Theatre, 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.
2021 AGM
The Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on the evening of Thursday 30 September 2021.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/EXXyuxVfk9M
Fodder Forums
Online Fodder Forums
During September 2021 AFIA hosted a series of five online Fodder Forums.
If you missed an event you can watch them by following the links below.
Fodder Forum 1 – Not negotiable: safety!
Proudly sponsored by AFIA’s Gold Sponsor – Krone.
Fodder Forum 2 – 3D Futures – opportunities for ag
Proudly supported by AFIA’s Preferred Partner – Entegra.
Fodder Forum 3. R&D Outcomes
Proudly supported by AFIA’s Gold Sponsor – Kuhn.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/OPkPGlg7Xnc
Fodder Forum 4: Automation
Proudly supported by AFIA’s Fodder Care Founding Partner New Holland.
Fodder Forum 5. Forecasting Fodder’s Future + AGM
A panel discussion covering quality, economy, land, end-users and testing.
Culminating in AFIA’s 2021 AGM.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/OJOsHhUCfsA
AFIA 2022 Photo Competition
The 2022 AFIA Photo Competition is proudly sponsored by the team at ThriveAgri:
PRIZES
| First Prize | iPad Mini |
| Second Prize | $500 Gift Voucher |
| People’s Choice | $250 Gift Voucher |
The top 12 entries will feature in the 2023 Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) calendar.
BACKGROUND
Each year the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) produces a calendar comprised of shortlisted photographs from its annual photo competition. These photos are taken by members of Australia’s fodder family. The AFIA calendar is a great way to celebrate our hard-working members and their dedication and support of the Australian fodder industry.
In 2022, our theme is: Fodder: supporting agriculture to thrive!
RULES OF ENTRY
Entries open on Wednesday 27 July and close at 5pm on Friday 14 October 2022. Entries are open to all AFIA members. If you are not currently a member, please join AFIA by clicking here.
All photos:
- must depict safe farming practices.
- should be landscape/horizontal in orientation.
- should be high resolution (best for calendar printing) and as a guide need to be a minimum 2.5MB and a maximum of 10MB in JPG or PNG format.
- should include a title.
- should address the theme
Permitted alterations include cropping, rotation, and brightness adjustments but content must not be added, removed, or distorted beyond the truth.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
A maximum of three photo entries per AFIA member is allowed.
The photographs should be emailed to media@afia.org.au.
JUDGING AND WINNERS
The promoter of this competition is the Australian Fodder Industry Association (the “Promoter”), ABN 12 131 678 727, PO Box 527 Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia.
All valid entries will be judged on composition, artistic merit, illustration of the theme, composition, overall impact, and their relevance to the Promoter’s aims and mission – to promote and grow the Australian fodder industry.
Each entrant, by entering the competition:
• agrees to the use of their photograph(s) in future communications including print, broadcast, social media and promotional purposes, including by not limited to the AFIA calendar, “Focus on Fodder” (AFIA’s magazine), and the AFIA website, without compensation, and
• agrees that the Promoter will own all intellectual property rights, including copyright in any resulting material.
Entrants under the age of 18 years of age must have the consent of a parent or guardian to enter.
The name of the prize winners will be announced in early November. Please allow at least 28 days from the date of notification for the delivery of the prizes.
ENTRY FORM
All entrants must complete the ENTRY FORM and submit it with their photograph(s) via email to: media@afia.org.au
