Agricultural shows will not survive unless the Government offers its support, according to the Northern Ireland Show’s Association (NISA) chair.
The bleak assessment follows the recent decision by Fermanagh Show not to go ahead with its annual event in 2021.
NISA chair, Ann Orr, said: “Fermanagh makes it a full house of local shows that will not take place this year.
“Balmoral show apart, this is the second successive year in which all of the local show associations in Northern Ireland have had no option but to cancel their events.”
Ms Orr said individual show incur costs of £20,000 a year just to survive with staff and office costs.
“This is a totally unsustainable situation for the organisations involved. The Executive at Stormont must step in and support the local shows now. If this do not happen, many of them will have no option but to call it a day,” she added.
“Such a development would be a tragedy for rural communities right across Northern Ireland.”
The Irish Government has agreed a support package for all the local shows in the Republic of Ireland.
As a result, each local show how received a support package of €8,000. NISA is aligned to the Irish Shows Association.
The NISA chair called on the Northern Ireland Assembly to work with the Irish Government on a cross-border agreement so NISA member organisations might also be eligible for support measures.
LSL News.