Sun shines for Niwa site in awards
After 30 years at Fieldays, Niwa has an exhibition site to boast about.
After 30 years at Fieldays, Niwa has an exhibition site to boast about.
Niwa have won the award for the Fieldays 2015 Best Agribusiness Indoor Site.
Niwa scientists Nava Fedaeff and MS Srinivasan are both proud and surprised with their site’s win.
“Nobody told us that we got the best indoor site,” Fedaeff said.
“It’s very exciting to win. We want to have a stand that attracts people to what we do.”
Business has been steady for Niwa this year as they are promoting a new web tool, IrriMet, and their site represents their theme of irrigation.
IrriMet is a web-based tool for farmers that will tell them when and how much to irrigate, leaching potential and how the overall growth potential is tracking.
“It has just come out. We want farmers to test it and we are offering free subscriptions to get people to use it and get feedback,” Fedaeff said.
Niwa hydrologist Srinivasan said the site took a lot of time to plan with their concept being sent to a set design company in Wellington.
“We have the IrriMet climate station, an irrigator and the different shades of green carpet is the Canterbury plains,” Fedaeff said.
This year is the 30th year they have had an exhibition at Fieldays, and the site is different every year depending on the focus.
Niwa are situated all over New Zealand with their main centre in Wellington where most scientists are.
“Niwa have a large raft of scientists so it is events like this when we all come together.”
Niwa’s weather expert Mike Revell, the principal meteorology scientist, said their Fieldays weather forecast accuracy has varied day to day.
“It is pretty good most of the time,” he said.
The good Fieldays weather this year is set to continue on Saturday with Revell forecasting no rain, westerly winds from 14 to 20 kilometres per hour, and a high of nine degrees.
