A South East dairy conference, scheduled for next week, has been postponed until late July, as a result of the Vic COVID-19 lockdown and border closure.
The DairySA Innovation Day was set to be held at Mount Gambier on Wednesday, June 9, but instead will be held on Wednesday, July 21.
Organisers say the decision was driven by the situation in Vic, including the hard border closures, which have so far been enforced until this Friday - three working days prior to the event.
"While there is a chance that this will be relaxed as of June 5, there is a significant chance that some quarantine restrictions will still be in place and therefore our five key speakers from Vic will still not be able to enter SA. This also applies to a number of our sponsors," the communication from DairySA said.
Organisers said while there was an option to pre-record presentations and play them back, this method of delivery was presented a poor engagement experience for delegates.
There was also concern that delegates might not attend, due to concerns about potential spread of COVID, even though there are no cases in SA at this stage.
DairySA Innovation Day committee chair Andrew Cavill said the committee believes that by postponing the Conference to just under two months later it will create the best chance to maximise attendance, engagement and return on investment for farmers.
"All going well, the committee will then be in a position to bring innovative topics, engaging speakers and quality businesses to DairySA Innovation Day in person, continuing our reputation as one of SA's most anticipated events in the dairy industry calendar," he said.
"We'd like to thank all our valued sponsors, speakers, SA dairyfarmers and the hardworking DairySA Innovation Day committee who have supported this decision and embraced the new date.
"From many years of holding this event, farmers' feedback has told us that it's the face to face networking with fellow farmers, colleagues and service providers that is one of the most valued aspects of the day - so we owe it to the farmers to create every chance of making this happen."
Up to 200 dairyfarmers and service providers had been expected to attend next week, with similar numbers now expected in July.
The event was cancelled in 2020.
Want to read more stories like this?
Sign up below to receive our e-newsletter delivered fresh to your email in-box twice a week.