New Zealand agriculture and horticulture will receive international media attention later this year when 200 agricultural journalist attend the IFAJ Congress 2015.

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress, hosted by the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators, will showcase this country's primary industries.

The kiwifruit industry will be among those visited by journalists attending the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress in October.

'When over 200 overseas journalists write about what makes New Zealand farming systems, agribusinesses, agricultural science and innovation unique and so successful, we expect very positive material in newspapers, magazines, radio, television, blogs, on-line and social media,” says Hugh Stringleman, chairman of the planning team for the New Zealand guild.

'The small New Zealand guild is really excited about hosting the event. While bookings don't open until March, a lot of overseas journalists are planning to come – and will be building NZ and Australian holidays around the congress. There will be lots of spin-offs for New Zealand in many ways.”

Already the congress has received welcome support from the agriculture sector, with sponsorship promised of nearly $200,000.

'Companies and groups very involved in agriculture can see the huge benefits to them from the positive publicity which Congress 2015 will bring,” adds Hugh.

Dairying will be under the spotlight when journalists attend the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress in October.

The event is held annually in different parts of the world and the Hamilton congress in October is expected to attract more than 200 agricultural journalists from at least 35 countries.

The Congress planning team is still looking for more sponsorship, to lower the cost of registration for journalists who face expensive travel costs from Europe, UK, USA, Canada, Africa, South America and parts of Asia.

The four days of the congress will include speeches and briefings, plus visits to farms, plant and research facilities around the Waikato.

The focus for the five streams for visits are dairy, red meat, horticulture and viticulture, science and innovation, and some broader agricultural topics such as a horse stud, equestrian field days at Mystery Creek, and a tea plantation.

There will also be one pre-congress tour to the Bay of Plenty, South Waikato and Hawke's Bay and two post congress tours.

One takes in Wellington (with some focus on stakeholder groups), Wairarapa, Manawatu and Kapiti Coast, while the other covers the upper-half of the South Island.

Hugh says the guild is grateful to all its current sponsors for Congress 2015, including DairyNZ, Fonterra, AGMARDT, NZXAgri, MPI, KPMG,Tourism NZ, MFAT, Silver Fern Farms, Zespri, Ballance AgriNutrients, Gallagher, and Horticulture New Zealand, while it is waiting to hear back from several others.

Anyone interested in learning more about the congress, should contact Sue Miller on: 0274510339, or email: info@congress2015.co.nz