Kiwis and Irish a great combination
Libby Wilson talks to exhibitors from Ireland at the Fieldays this year
The Irish are here, and they’re ready for some good craic with Kiwi farmers.
Six years ago, government body Enterprise Ireland brought a contingent from the Emerald Isle for a walk-through of Fieldays and liked what they saw.
With more than NZ$300 million worth of trade between New Zealand and Ireland in 2012, it is a small wonder their site gets bigger each year.
Enterprise Ireland director for Australia and New Zealand Paul Burfield said the importance of agriculture in New Zealand and Ireland made the combination a natural fit.
So did the 20 per cent of New Zealanders with Irish ancestry.
“There’s a lot of ‘O apostrophes’ around this place.”
Even so, a physical presence at Fieldays was essential.
“You’ve gotta be able to kick it, feel it, and climb over it.”
But the Irish companies are not jumping in and selling directly to New Zealand.
They are looking to form partnerships with local distributors who know the market better than anyone else.
Burfield estimated Fieldays was a $90,000 to $100,000 investment – testament to their commitment to the Kiwi market.
Hi-Spec Engineering has a New Zealand division, based in Geraldine.
Sales manager Denis Madigan came up for Fieldays from South Canterbury, but fortunately the tanker on display had a shorter journey.
Madigan is looking forward to some extra exposure for the business, which he hopes will get farmers thinking.
Another of the seven exhibitors on the Enterprise Ireland stand is Joana Ramos, who was launching BioTector’s wastewater analyser to the New Zealand market.
The machine analyses the carbon content in wastewater, and was not as easy to get through customs as Ramos expected.
Ramos was amazed at being surrounded by companies like Hyundai and Fonterra.
“There’s a huge variety that I wasn’t expecting.”
Despite that variety, Phelim Wakely had not yet found any competition for the Wakely Engineering grain mills.
While the company already has New Zealand distributors, Wakely wanted to talk directly to the farmers who buy his products.
And coming to New Zealand holds an extra attraction: he can visit his daughter, who lives in Wellington.
