Mixed prospects for this year's agriculture shows

摘要

For many farming families, the agricultural show season is the highlight of the year. The opportunity to leave the farm and attend shows to network, make new friends and do business is just the tonic after months of hard work in winter and spring.Coronavirus wiped out last year's shows calendar, causing millions of pounds worth of losses to the rural economy. It hit everything from larger shows to smaller, one-day events which bring rural communities together.Hundreds of shows up and down the country were forced to cancel as the virus let rip, starving farming communities of annual chances to meet acquaintances, denying traders a vital market and rural charities of fundrais-ing activities. Virtual agricultural shows went some way to filling the void left by the mass cancellations. But they struggled to replace the buzz of live outdoor shows.