The UK’s largest dairy show is gearing up to receive visitors from near and far, with guests, trade stands and judges coming from all over the world.
The dairy industry is a vital part of agriculture in the UK, with world class farmers pioneering new technology, genetics and practices – something which draws in interest and trade from all over the world, says Alan Lyons, head of shows. “To grow as an industry it is vital that we share ideas and learn from one another, and seeing such a wide scope of international visitors attend the Dairy Show highlights both what other countries have to learn from us and what they can bring to the table.”
This year a contingent from India will be attending the Show. Gurinderjit Singh, who spent six months on a placement at Walk Farm, Witham Friary, working with 400 Montbeliards, is returning to the UK to visit the Show – along with a group of farmer friends – after successfully building his own herd in India.
His experience working at Walk Farm allowed him to create his own successful business and he now processes his own milk and has created an extensive home delivery service in the nearest town in the Punjab region.
Another group from Ireland will also be visiting the Show. The 18 dairy farmers are part of the co-operative, Aurivo and will be travelling around a series of dairy farms as part of their tour.
A further 11 visitors are coming from across the US and Canada as part of a longer trip to the UK to gain knowledge of the dairy industry. The contingent of dairy farmers and industry experts will also be visiting a number of dairy farms and other destinations before heading over to Ireland.
The Show doesn’t just draw in international farmers: Many trade stands will be showcasing their products from all over the world. New Zealand Trade Enterprise will be travelling the furthest, to bring a variety of Aitchison grassland drills to the Show. And both Heuven Livestock BV and Gallagher from the Netherlands are set to showcase an array of products, along with Pectofeed Ireland and VUXXX GmbH from Germany.
As well as attracting livestock entries from across the UK, the Show also has a history of esteemed judges attending from far and wide. This year, the Jersey Society’s National Show will see Alta Mae-Core from Kentucky, USA, preside over the judging of the Jersey competitions, bringing her own extensive expertise to the day.
Bringing together people together from so many different countries allows for better knowledge transfer and connections, says Mr Lyons. “It’s not only an honour to host such a diverse number of guests and traders, it’s also part of the multi-cultural and multi-national world we live in, something that farmers can sometimes be isolated from. So it’s great to be able to provide an opportunity to open our doors to different countries through the Show.”
The Dairy Show will be held on 3 October at the Royal Bath & West Showground. Schedules for show classes are available online, and advance saver tickets can be purchased from www.bathandwest.com.
The Dairy Show is registered with Dairy Pro and current members and those who join at the event will get their attendance registered on their personal development record and receive 2 Dairy Pro points.
