2004 Grasslands Society Conference at Gunnedah

One of the State's richest agricultural areas will host the 2004 Annual Conference of the Grasslands Society of NSW to be held this July in the north-west town of Gunnedah.

More than 300 visitors from across the State are expected to make the journey to Gunnedah for the 19th annual conference, which is a major event for the Society.

Featuring producers, extension and scientific experts, speakers will address a range of topics on the conference theme of 'Pastures in Farming Systems - Meet the Challenge'.

The two-day event from July 28 to 29, together with the pre-conference tour on July 27 and conference dinner will allow producers to exchange ideas, information and experiences.

Chair of the organising committee and NSW Agriculture district agronomist at Gunnedah, Loretta Serafin, said the program would cover topics that producers would find both interesting and relevant, with tours a key feature.

"The pre-conference tour will be a visit to NSW Agriculture's Tamworth Agricultural Institute, a Centre of Excellence for Northern Farming Systems," Ms Serafin said.

"This ties in well with our conference theme and should generate a lot of interest, particularly from people interested in the research underpinning the development of new pastures species and grazing practices."

The conference gets under way on the Wednesday morning and will feature two morning sessions followed by a choice of three afternoon field trips. The field tours will each visit district properties where farmers are managing pastures, livestock and economic factors in a variety of different soils and climates.

Thursday offers a choice of morning topics, including sessions on soil health, livestock in the farm system, managing for top production and sustainability, and making pastures pay. There will also be a debate with producer speakers on integration or separation of pasture country from farming. The conference concludes after lunch.

Gunnedah is located mid way between Tamworth and Coonabarabran on the Oxley Highway, and annually host thousands of visitors who make their way to the Agquip field days.

Further information on the 2004 Grasslands Society of NSW Annual Conference can be obtained from Grassland Society of NSW Secretary, Nicole Griffin (telephone 6882 3657 or 0427 511 962).

Media contact: Loretta Serafin, NSW Agriculture district agronomist at Gunnedah, telephone 6741 8333 (office number) or mobile 0427 311 819

Issued by: Annette Cross, NSW Agriculture Tamworth, telephone 6763 1243, mobile 0427 201 840