Attendance was 11 per cent down at the first day of the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek yesterday.

Attendance to the first of the four day event was 23,975. Although down on the same day last year (26,864), it also marked the first wet opening day in seven years; comparative with 2002 at 23,856.
Typical attendance to Fieldays increases each day it is held, with Wednesday tracking lowest and Friday experiencing record visitor numbers, says communications advisor Ariana Tucker.
'Despite the wet weather, an encouraging number streamed through the gate throughout the day,” she says.
Fieldays is now in its 41st year, and was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key.
NZ National Fieldays is supported by strategic partners, The National Bank and the University of Waikato, and continues daily until Saturday June 13.