Waikato Times

Agricultur­al show scrapped for 2024

- Tatiana Gibbs Sinead Gill

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The New Zealand Agricultur­al Show – an annual fixture on the Christchur­ch event calendar – has been cancelled for this year, organisers have announced.

Livestock judging and competitio­ns will still be held in 2024.

In a message to stakeholde­rs, the Canterbury Agricultur­al and Pastoral Associatio­n board cited “several challengin­g years” and said it would review its business model.

“Twelve months of costs and three days of revenue is not a great business model by anyone’s analysis,” board chairperso­n Stewart Mitchell said. “After reviewing the latest financial position and projection­s ... the board concluded it would be unwise to proceed with a full-scale show for 2024.”

Stuff has for a number of weeks been reporting on the future of the show being unclear, amid the departure of a number of staff – including its general manager – and financial uncertaint­y.

Financial difficulti­es have plagued the associatio­n for years, including before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to publicly available annual reports.

At least seven employees have left in the last 12 months, including the entire former events team, accounts manager and operations staff. General manager Tracy Ahern resigned in December and was due to finish on April 5.

It’s understood she was originally due to finish in February, but was asked to delay her exit.

Show vendors were advised by email on Tuesday evening that they could either receive a full refund for payments made to operate stall sites this year, or payments could be carried over to the 2025 show with a 10% discount.

In his message to stakeholde­rs, Mitchell said financial reserves were limited after two Covid disrupted years in 2020 and 2021 and a financial loss in 2023, and it was “unable to sustain the risk” of another deficit this year.

Rising wage and compliance costs also affected the bottom line.

Income for the show mainly comes from sponsorshi­p, exhibitors and gate revenue, and Mitchell said prevailing economic conditions were likely to adversely affect those.

“The risk of proceeding and incurring potential losses, without any significan­t reserves, was too great.”

Bryce Murray, president of the associatio­n’s general committee, said it was sad news for the more than 100,000 people who normally attend the show and its exhibitors.

The 110,000 attendees last year was up 40% from 2022.

“The show has been running in Christchur­ch since 1863 and, while this is frustratin­g, we promise to be back stronger and better than ever next year,” Murray said.

Stock judging and competitio­n events are still planned to go ahead, as they did during the “no-show Covid years”.

Mitchell said the board signalled its wish for a review of the governance model in the show’s constituti­on, started in 2023, to continue to completion. The board was close to concluding a commercial transactio­n with Christchur­ch City Council which would see land the associatio­n holds a 100-year lease on be transferre­d to the council for public use, he said.

Stuff revealed on April 2 that the council was negotiatin­g a multimilli­on-dollar investment into the Canterbury A&P Associatio­n, through an investment trust.

The council is considerin­g breaking the associatio­n’s 100-year lease over land at 141 Wigram Rd, and is willing to pay large sums to make it happen.

As much as $5 million could be on the line, with associatio­n members being told the council may invest $4m in the associatio­n – through a future trust – and forgive an existing $1m loan.

There have been warnings about the show’s financial position for years.

In his 2020 report former associatio­n president Chris Herbert said costs were rising but income was limited. The associatio­n was sitting “on the edge of a financial cliff,” he said.

 ?? PETER MEECHAM/STUFF ?? Cade McIlirtha feels the horn of champion Highland heifer Margere Do at last year’s show.
PETER MEECHAM/STUFF Cade McIlirtha feels the horn of champion Highland heifer Margere Do at last year’s show.

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