Upper Bann MLAs pledge to fight for funding for agri shows

Members of both the Northern region of the Irish Shows Association (ISA) and Northern Ireland Show Association (NISA) arranged the meeting on Saturday 9 March.

The DUP’s Diane Dodds MLA, leader of the UUP Doug Beattie MLA and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon’s (ABC) Councillor Kyle Savage were in attendance, alongside over 40 stakeholders from across NI’s agricultural shows.

ISA Northern Region Chair, Marjory Blackburn, welcomed members to the meeting before the recently installed NISA Chair, Michele Doran, took to the floor.

Mrs Doran said: “We as shows all need to band together and put our shoulder to the wheel to get funding.

“We are trying to get the funding from our department [DAERA] to grow our shows, to feel confident that we can cover our costs.

“It is important that we stand together and drive this to get funding from the Minister [Andrew Muir MLA] this year.

“If rainy days do occur, it is hard to know what we will do going forward.”

“We need to drive home to the minister that everyone sitting here today are volunteers.”

“We are all in it for the good of agri shows in our respective areas.”

“Shows are great for farmers with many saying it is great to get back on the show circuits again following the pandemic.

“The contribution we make, not just financially but the contribution to good mental health, and the wellbeing of our communities is not able to be gauged totally.

“Unfortunately, Fermanagh is not able to run this year due to an increase in their costs, hopefully that will be rectified going forward for 2025.

“It is very difficult having to watch shows having to cancel because of a lack of funding and it is very disappointing for those involved.

“If you don’t have the funds, you just can’t trade and that is the bottom line.”

The only central government support to date was when former Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA revealed a £200,000 bounce back scheme in March 2022.

This allowed show representatives to claim up to a maximum of £10,000 for new or increased costs following the cancellation of all shows in 2020 and most in 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

Mr Poots also announced during Balmoral Show 2022, the appointment of Mr Aled Rhys Jones to undertake the independent external resilience review of NI Agricultural Shows Sector in Northern Ireland.

The ISA National Secretary, Jim Harrison, then outlined the review on the future of shows saying, “Why leave it sitting on the shelf? It needs to be looked at.

“It tells us the Welsh can support their shows, then why can’t Northern Ireland not do it as well?

“The northern shows need a good package to keep going.”

Funding for shows in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) comes from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

In June 2023 the Irish Government’s Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, TD announced funding of €1 million to support 122 agricultural shows across ROI.

Shows were divided into seven categories and the money was split accordingly. The support programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of 'Our Rural Future'. This is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025.

The ISA National President, Ray Brady stated: “The ISA has worked hard in the ROI to secure funding for the shows in the south and it is making a difference.

“I would encourage all the elected representatives in the north to embrace the difference that it does make, to get that funding does help all shows to continue to run because there is a massive tradition in Northern Ireland about the showing community.”

“It is time, if it can be done in the ROI, it should be done in NI as well and I hope we would all be united to approach to try and get money.”

Dodds – A ‘terrible dereliction of duty’ if shows are lost

Diane Dodds MLA who is a former member of the European parliament and member of the EU Agriculture and Rural Development Committee then took to the podium.

She said: “It is sad to see the difficulties shows are now undergoing and I came here this afternoon as I think it is important to support those rural shows, to make sure that tradition captured over many years continues for future generations.

“There are a number of things I will go away and do, and I know Doug will work with us, and I know Tom Elliot as chair of the DAERA committee in Stormont will work with us, to bring the needs of agricultural shows to the fore.

“I will go in and work, talk to members of my party on the DAERA committee, Michelle McIlveen, Tom Buchanan and William Irwin.

“As you all work together there is strength in doing this as a whole association and that is really important.”

“We can see if we can get a delegation up to talk with the DAERA committee”

Mrs Dodds said she would encourage the minister to meet with delegates as soon as he could, adding: “The issue of rural shows is quite pressing in that they are going to start very soon, and we can’t ignore that.”

“There is an element of the department that should address issues to do with rural communities.

“There is no reason why the department can’t work alongside the Department for Communities.”

“The agri-food industry feeds ten million people in the rest of Great Britain.

“It provides in excess of 60,000 jobs here in NI, it is one of the biggest exporters that we have, and it is a manufacturing part of our economy.

“It is really important that we are showcasing that on the best way that we can possibly do it.

“I would not like to see the tradition of rural shows be lost in NI, I think that would be a terrible dereliction of duty of political representatives.”

Mrs Dodds has submitted assembly questions to the Agriculture Minister Mr Muir, asking ‘what stage the business case for providing support to agricultural shows is at’ and ‘whether he plans to fund shows’.

Beattie – Shows are ‘precious’ and ‘inspiring’

Doug Beattie MLA in his address said: “I look at shows as community events, something that brings people in from that urban sprawl, they are precious events.

“We would be a lesser society if we were ever to lose them, I find them inspiring.

“For the people who set them up, show animals or produce, it is important for them to showcase the community they come from.

“The solution for me is that I always believe other departments have a responsibility to those people who live and work in the rural communities.

“The Department of Communities has a vested interest in these shows, the Department of Health has a vested interest in the mental health and wellbeing of rural people that attend these shows. All of them should be feeding into supporting the shows.

“That means pooling and sharing budgets, bringing money in from all directions.

“We need to look out for when the budget is going to be set, which is likely to be set in April so we look to the finance minister.

“What you do as a rural community in agricultural shows, is not just for you, not just for the rural community but it serves the whole of Northern Ireland society, so we all have a vested interest in keeping them going.”

All MLAs from the Upper Bann constituency were invited to the meeting. Jonathan Buckley MLA and Eóin Tennyson MLA sent their apologies, with no response from John O’Dowd MLA. Carla Lockhart MP also sent her apologies.

The newly appointed Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir was also invited to the event, however, sent a letter instead which was read out to all those in attendance.

He said: “I would like to set out my appreciation for the invaluable work that goes into the running of agricultural shows throughout Northern Ireland. The shows play an integral role in supporting the health, wellbeing, and connectivity of our rural communities and I appreciate that many of those who assist in their organisation do so in a volunteer capacity.

“As you may be aware the Northern Ireland Executive is not yet in a position to agree a budget for 2024-25. Until this is known, I am not in a position to consider any proposals in relation to funding for shows which will be considered as part of the 2024/25 budget process.”

The minister concluded: “Please be assured I am committed to keeping you and your members informed about my considerations on this matter.”

In summing up, Marjory Blackburn said: “For all of us out there in different council areas, get out and lobby all politicians, get the ball rolling. If we all work together, we will hopefully get the results.”