International visitors at Royal Welsh Show
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is forging new links with overseas countries through its International Pavilion on the showground at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.
This year 652 visitors from abroad registered at the pavilion during the four days of the Royal Welsh Show in July including the ambassadors of the Netherlands and the Slovak Republic. A delegation of agriculturalists from Poland and an official from the US Department of Agriculture were among others keen to find out more about farming in Wales and they expressed keen interest in developing communications with the RWAS, said the society’s Chief Steward at the International Pavilion, Ernie Beaumont.
The overseas visitors came from 30 countries led by Ireland, with 134, and New Zealand, with 89.
“New Zealand’s dairy farmers said they were having to contend with low milk prices and they were seriously concerned over new government regulations which could take out of production units of 250 cows and under,” Mr Beaumont said.
Among other countries strongly represented at this year’s show were Australia with 63 visitors, Germany (54), the USA (43) and Belgium (34). For most visitors from overseas the main interests were Welsh ponies and the shearing competitions.
Next year the Royal Welsh will host the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships when some 30 national teams will be visiting Llanelwedd to compete. The world championships were last staged at the Royal Welsh in 1994 and the event is expected to boost overseas visitors in 2010 to unprecedented numbers.