A FOCUS on grassroots discussions rather than on presenters will be the hallmark of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association's 2015 policy forum.
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The forum will be held in Launceston during the first week of July.
The TFGA has described the forum as "a melting pot of thoughts, ideas and suggestions regarding the major issues facing our rural industries in Tasmania".
TFGA president Wayne Johnston said the event would canvass a range of topics, including freight and local government.
This year's forum is titled "Thinking Outside the Square".
Mr Johnston said the landscape in Tasmanian agriculture was changing due to the impact of the significant changes being made to irrigation.
He said that with the irrigation schemes under way, there were opportunities for farmers, but those opportunities needed to be identified.
"We need to think outside the box, we need to think about what else we can use that water for," he said.
"[We need to] continue to use it for our traditional commodities - dairy and vegetables and our crops - but what else can we use it for, what else is out there, what can we grow that perhaps China or Asia will be looking for in three or four years time."
The TFGA is hoping between 200 and 220 Tasmanian farmers will attend the two-day event, which will include a dinner, general meeting and field day on the Friday.
Mr Johnston said he hoped the forum would discuss ways that Tasmanian farmers could diversify their enterprises.
"Foreign investors are showing unprecedented interest in property holdings, primary production and the processing sector," he said.
"At the same time, our exporters are both adventurous and imaginative and we are seizing prospects to provide counter-seasonal produce, particularly for the Asian market."
■The forum will be held at Country Club Tasmania on July 2 and 3. Registrations close on June 19.