Ploughing Executive Cancel Trade Exhibition & World Ploughing Contest

Cancelled Due to Restriction, Uncertainty and Public Health and Safety Concerns.

Ploughing Competitions still scheduled for September.

The NPA Executive have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Trade Exhibition following months of monitoring the Covid-19 status and taking into account the Governments updated roadmap for the next few months.

Given the sheer scale of the Ploughing with 297,000 attendees in 2019 and the lack of clarity about what Covid-19 restrictions and regulations will look like in September for outdoor events it was felt that cancelling the 1700 trade exhibitor event was the only option. 

Public Health & Safety is of paramount importance to the Association and unless the NPA were confident the Trade Exhibition could go ahead without causing any risk to exhibitors, competitors & visitors it would not be feasible.  As the timeline to start site works is imminent – the NPA just could not wait any longer to make a decision.

The World Ploughing Contest due to be held in Ireland to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the NPA attracting visitors from 30 countries was also cancelled given the extent of current International Travel Restrictions.

The NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said, “It’s a massive disappointment to the Association to have to cancel the trade exhibition two years in a row in particular when you consider the estimated annual economic impact of €50 million that will be lost to the Irish Economy.   We are very conscious of the loss of revenue for our exhibitors and the disappointment of patrons.  However, the NPA is a strong establishment, we have a massively committed team behind the event, our exhibitors and our patrons have been very loyal over the years and we look forward to bringing the Exhibition back at its full potential in 2022.    We will run our National Ploughing Competitions this year and hopefully we can welcome some visitors (pending regulations).”

The plan will be to build a programme of activities around the “Ploughing Competitions” that will keep the focus on “Rural Ireland” during Ploughing Week (15th – 17th Sept.) – this will include virtual content promoting exhibitors combined with a week of highly interactive and immersive #Ploughing2021 digital activations for all to get involved with.

The NPA have also confirmed that the event will return to Ratheniska in 2022 from   20th – 22nd September when we look forward to enjoying the Ploughing as usual.

National Ploughing Championships

Probably the largest National Ploughing Association in the world the NPA, will host the National Ploughing Championships in 2022 on September 20th, 21st & 22nd in Ratheniska, Co. Laois.
Attracting an annual attendance of almost 300,000 this spectacular annual “Farming Festival” has it all!

On entering the golden fields of stubble prepare to be awed by the precision and skill of the ploughman as they hone their craft to join the realms of the elite National Ploughing Champions.
Leave behind the silent intensity of the competition fields to enter the trade arena comparable only to a busy town on market day.
Over 1,800 exhibitors sprawled over hundreds of acres Promoting, Selling, Educating and Entertaining the throngs of visitors that make their way to this bustling town built on a green field for just a few days once a year.

Agricultural Machinery and Livestock at the core of the Exhibition extending out to almost every product and service associated with Irish Life.
It’s not just about business – there are Food Fayres, Craft Demonstrations, Fashion Shows, Funfairs and traditional events Pony Club, Hunt Chase, Sheep Shearing, Sheep Dog Trials, Vintage Machinery Exhibition, Horse Shoe Throwing.
Some say “if you’ve been to “The Ploughing” then no explanation is necessary!
BUT if you haven’t no explanation is possible”
, such is the uniqueness of this event.

And once every decade or two the privelege of hosting a World Contest comes around bringing with it World’s finest ploughers from over 30 countries.
Let’s hope we get to see this premiere in Co. Laois in September and watch history in the making.

info@npa.ie npexhibition@npa.ie