The 156th Balmoral Show, one of the biggest agricultural shows on the island, is officially underway from today (Wednesday, May 14) at the Eikon Exhibition Centre outside Lisburn.
It is expected to attract thousands of visitors from every corner, especially this year thanks to the latest warm weather forecasts.
Many people believe that the Balmoral Show reflects all that is good about farming and food in Northern Ireland and it has been a showcase for this since it first started in 1855.
The evolving success of the event bears this assertion out in full.
Over the next four days, it has been predicted that in the region of 100,000 people will take in the sights and sounds of the event.
Four-day show
There is no doubt that the decision to extend the show to include a Saturday within the event’s programme was extremely popular and the ‘weekend factor’ has made Balmoral Show an extremely attractive proposition for people who simply want a day out with a difference.
The fact that it is so child-friendly also makes it a very attractive proposition for families – regardless of whether they have a rural heritage or not.
But the key driver for the show is its ability to deliver a platform for food and drink processers, in tandem with retailers, all keen to communicate with a wide cross-section of the public.
And this is a two-way street – consumers, for their part, have an insatiable appetite for information on how their food is actually produced.
From an agri-food perspective, it is a marriage made in heaven.
Meanwhile, in the competition rings, matters of an equally serious nature will played out over the coming days.
Coming home from Balmoral with a show rosette of any colour is a career-changing accolade for any livestock breeder.
Even the briefest of visits to the cattle and sheep rings provides an insight into the tremendous investment that breeders continue to make where the development of new and improved bloodlines is concerned.
Pedigree livestock breeding is now a very serious business, with the prospect of a Balmoral championship adding significantly to the value of those animals that catch the judges’ attention.
Recent years have seen livestock breeders from across the island of Ireland making their way to Balmoral.
Noted Limousin breeder William Smith, from Oldcastle in Co. Meath, is a case in point. He has won the Balmoral Inter Breed Beef Championship on three occasions.
But, as is always the case with outdoor events, it is the weather that will make or break Balmoral Show and the advice from organisers this year is to” bring your suncream” is certainly a good omen.
