GROWING SA postponed to February 2022
South Australian agriculture’s flagship event, GROWING SA, has been postponed until February 2022 in response to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions within the state and interstate.
The event, which is hosted by Grain Producers SA and Livestock SA and was to be held next month, will be postponed to Friday 25 February 2022.
GPSA chief executive officer Caroline Rhodes said the safety of all participants and compliance with SA Health requirements were the top priorities, so both organisations had taken the decision to postpone the event.
“The uncertainty surrounding the duration of current COVID-19 restrictions, both here and interstate, and the impact on subsequent weeks, has cast a shadow on attendance and the successful preparation and delivery of the conference and our ability to access interstate speakers and sponsors,” Ms Rhodes said.
“We expect that postponing until February 2022 will give confidence to speakers, sponsors, and delegates so that we can maximise attendance, discussion and networking at the conference.”
Livestock SA chief executive officer Andrew Curtis encouraged primary producers, industry stakeholders and service providers to save the new date for GROWING SA.
“The revised timing schedules GROWING SA three weeks before the State Election and positions it as a pre-election forum for the agriculture industry,” he said.
“This will be agriculture’s opportunity to communicate policy priorities and engage with political candidates during the campaign – a first for the event.
“GROWING SA 2022 will also provide insights into policy development, business and economic trends, and commodity research and the chance to network within the industry and with policy decision makers.”
Conference organisers will be in contact with sponsors, speakers, and delegates to transition the program and support the new date.
The annual general meetings for GPSA and Livestock SA, which were planned to coincide with GROWING SA on August 23, will still go ahead on that date to meet governance requirements.
Both meetings will be held at Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, Hahndorf. The GPSA AGM will be held from 11am-1pm and the Livestock SA AGM from 2pm-4pm. Arrangements will follow COVID-19 management guidelines. For information on each AGM, check each organisation’s website.
Media contact: Michelle Daw, AgCommunicators, 0427 430 845
