The entry price to the 2022 National Ploughing Championships is set to rise by €5 this year to €25, managing director Anna May McHugh has said.
She told the Irish Farmers Journal at the north Tipperary IFA AGM last week that after a two-year hiatus, preparations for the 2022 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, are under way with some slight changes planned.
Exhibitors looking to erect trade stands at this year’s ploughing will also face a price hike.
“We are hoping that most of the exhibitors will be back, I would be sorry to lose any,” she said.
McHugh said that, reluctantly, the prices associated with this year’s ploughing had to increase in order to make “ends meet.”
She stated that it now costs over €6m to run the event over the three days.
Costs
Some €1m is paid for the steel roadways, McHugh continued, adding that these are supplied from an English company who come at the end of July to begin works.
The electricity for the event costs over half a million euros and is all underground.
Even with the huge attendance we had in 2019, we ran the event at a loss
“The price of everything has gone up, and we had to increase our prices.
“Even with the huge attendance we had in 2019, we ran the event at a loss. We do not want to put off exhibitors but they will understand that prices all over have increased,” she said.
Looking forward
McHugh said that she is looking forward to a really good time this year.
Trade stand prospectuses will be sent out to previous exhibitors in the middle of March
“All roads lead to Ratheniska for those few days,” she said.
Tickets for this year’s Ploughing will be available online and McHugh said that a ticketing company has been employed to distribute tickets.
Trade stand prospectuses will be sent out to previous exhibitors in the middle of March. Ploughing 2022 will take place from 20 to 22 September.
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