Organisers are heralding the success of this year's New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek.
The four-day event, which finished on Saturday, attracted 128,271 visitors - a 9% improvement on the previous year. Saturday's attendance of 30,292 was 40% up on the final day in 2011.
There were more than 1000 exhibitors and a busy programme of demonstrations at the 88ha event centre.
Prime Minister John Key paid a visit during the week, accompanied by Fieldays Society chief executive Jon Calder and president Lloyd Downing.
Those he met included Jasmine Creighton, Fieldays Young Inventor of the Year, and staff at the Swanndri stand, who persuaded him to try on an All Blacks Swanndri coat.
Jasmine (12) received the award for a pigtail transporter she invented for her science fair project last year.
The transporter carried 50 pigtail standards and up to four electric fence reels and was designed to be pulled along manually.
The Golden Standard award, recognising excellence in innovation, was awarded to Vernon Suckling, of Ag Tech Industries Ltd, for the "Lifeguard" ATV roll frame, designed to help prevent injuries and save lives.
