2021 Ploughing Trade Exhibition Will Not Proceed.

Friday, 14 May 2021 12:08

File image; National Ploughing Championship logo

The competition element of The Ploughing will take place in Ratheniska in September.

The Ploughing Trade Exhibition will not go ahead this year.

The event normally draws a crowd of about 300,000 people and was due to take place in Ratheniska, Co Laois, in September.

But the organisers say it's been cancelled because of uncertainty about what Covid restrictions will be in place at that point.

The national ploughing competitions will still go ahead - possibly with some visitors.

Assistant managing director, Anna Marie McHugh, says they had no choice but to cancel the trade exhibition.

The NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said, “It’s a massive disappointment to the Association to have to cancel the trade exhibition two years in a row in particular when you consider the estimated annual economic impact of €50 million that will be lost to the Irish Economy. We are very conscious of the loss of revenue for our exhibitors and the disappointment of patrons. However, the NPA is a strong establishment, we have a massively committed team behind the event, our exhibitors and our patrons have been very loyal over the years and we look forward to bringing the Exhibition back at its full potential in 2022. We will run our National Ploughing Competitions this year and hopefully we can welcome some visitors (pending regulations).”

#Ploughing2021 @farmersjournal @AgrilandIreland @FarmersMonthly @farming_indo @RTECountryWide @RTENationwide @NewstalkFM @TodayFM @midlands103 @kfmradio @kclr96fm @ShannonsideFM @radiokerry @OceanFmIreland @radiomidwest @SPINSouthWest @SouthEastRadio @highlandradio pic.twitter.com/k0zv696mNI
— National Ploughing (@NPAIE) May 14, 2021

Anna May McHugh joined Ciara Plunkett on Friday afternoon's edition of Kildare Focus.

She says that numerous government departments did not respond to the NPA's request for engagement, and the association believes the event, Europe's largest outdoor agricultural trade and competition show, was abandoned.