THE Nationals WA MP Peter Rundle said it was a great honour to be patron of the Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama on March 6-7 and since growing up on the farm between Katanning and Kojonup he looked forward to it every year.
Mr Rundle said for anyone within about a 200 kilometre radius it was a fantastic event.
From a National Party perspective, it was a great place to have a stand with people flowing through from that radius and, quite often, from as far as Geraldton through to Esperance, for a catch up on various issues.
"For me there are a couple of issues in focus now and one is regional education," Mr Rundle said.
"Our agricultural colleges are a real focus for us as a party and the Woolorama probably displays it better than anywhere.
"When you look at the Merino judging ring, for example, you can see all the college students there with their uniforms on and they look fantastic and it is a good chance for them to display what they've got.
"It's great for them to be able to do their judging and just come along as a group and enjoy the Woolorama, but just about every agricultural college in the State is full and overflowing and places like Cunderdin are getting anywhere up to 40-50 enrolments they can't take."
Mr Rundle said The Nationals were looking down the track at trying to expand student intake numbers and increase support to colleges.
"Without getting into politics we all know there were cutbacks in the regional education sector a couple of years ago and the Agricultural College Provisions Trust had 20 per cent taken out of its budget that we are keen to get reinstated," he said.
The other big item of importance is sheep numbers in WA and Australia which Mr Rundle considers are at a tipping point.
"The WA flock stands at a bit more than 13 million sheep and we really need to retain all our breeding stock," he said.
"I heard the other day there were ewes sold in Narracoorte, South Australia for $800 a head so what is going to happen following rain in the Eastern States, is that there will be a massive influx of buyers.
"I am sure the banks will help people to re-establish their flocks and they will come through here (WA) looking to boost their numbers.
"It will be great, as prices will be rising, but I think it is really important that all our producers in WA - and I am sure people like Fletcher International will agree - retain and increase our sheep flock if possible.
"To me farming at the moment is almost as good as it's ever been but we are obviously having climate issues and things like our water supply right through the entire Great Southern and the Stirling Ranges bushfire affect our whole region."
Ever since he was a child Mr Rundle has always come to the Woolorama.
"I've loved it - my wife and kids have enjoyed it and it's an event our whole region can enjoy," he said.
"It's that cross promotion of our agricultural industry that is really important."