There is a great Agricultural Town of the Year down the road
The Ag Town of the Year program launches today, with the public asked to nominate the SA towns they believe are worthy of the accolade.
Every year, the finalists and winners of the Agricultural Town of the Year span the state – from places like Pinnaroo near the Victorian border, to Wudinna on Eyre Peninsula.
These are towns that many South Australians will have visited and enjoyed, perhaps without fully appreciating their contributions to their local communities and the state at large.
In 2022-23, the state’s primary industries and agribusiness revenue reached a record $18.5 billion – almost one-seventh of gross state product.
Additionally, taking into account associated processing sectors, it supported the equivalent of 78,000 fulltime jobs.
The Ag Town of the Year program, run by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, is an important platform for showcasing the innovative and world-class agricultural practices in use across the state.
It also helps to bring attention to the many entrepreneurial agricultural businesses that are diversifying, value-adding and experimenting to create a stronger future for each of their communities.
Last year’s winner Wudinna was recognised for its commitment to agriculture – from a grassroots level in the local school’s programs through to its leadership, innovation and research in dryland farming – as well the drive of its townspeople and their commitment to the local community.
Every town in South Australia is eligible for nomination and anyone can nominate one – it is as easy as visiting the website agtown.com.au to submit one or more favourites by June 5.
Once the nominations are in, members of the public will be invited to vote for their preferred town, taking into consideration the role the town plays in fostering primary industries and driving regional growth.
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The ten towns collecting the most votes will earn the distinction of making it onto the shortlist supplied to the judges.
This number will be whittled down to three by the judging panel, and these finalist towns will have promotional videos and stories produced by Solstice Media, the publisher of InDaily.
The ultimate winner will receive a commemorative sign for their town entrance, a community celebration event, and a feature in SALIFE magazine.
The Ag Town of the Year Award program is reported through InDaily’s regional news coverage and the announcement of this year’s winner will take place at Solstice Media’s Regional Showcase Awards on October 24, 2024.
