The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
More call-offs but optimism over AgriScot
Two more popular agricultural events have fallen victim to the Covid-19 crisis, but organisers of the industry’s main winter event say they are hopeful they can host a show in November.
The Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) has postponed its summer educational event – Countryside Live – for the second year in a row.
The event was due to take place at Mackie’s of Scotland at Westertown, Rothienorman, on May 30-31. However, it will now take place in May 2022.
“Restrictions will still likely be in place for mass gatherings throughout the summer as our main priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors, exhibitors and organisers,” said RNAS president Jimmy Dick.
The Lamma (Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association) show, which was due to take place at the NEC in Birmingham on May 25-26, has also been cancelled due to “ongoing uncertainties surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The event, which would normally take place in January each year, will next take place on January 11-12 2022.
Lamma event manager Kate Welsh said: “We know how much everyone wants the show to take place, but with the ongoing uncertainty we had to make a decision. Under the current circumstances this feels like the right thing to do.”
Meanwhile, organisers of winter event AgriScot have confirmed the next show will take place on Wednesday November 17.
Event chairman Robert Neill said he hoped to host an in-person event at Ingliston, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. However, if Covid-19 restrictions are still in place, the show will go ahead in a digital format, as it did in 2020.
Mr Neill said: “Unfortunately, not every event, especially those agricultural shows reliant on the attendance of the ticket-buying general public, has been able to pivot into the online world.
“The business-to-business nature of AgriScot has allowed us to do that and I am so grateful that we now have a successful online fail-safe to ensure that we continue our unbroken run of AgriScot events.”