With just two weeks to go to the National Ploughing Championships, on-site preparations are a week ahead of schedule, according to National Ploughing Association (NPA) managing director Anna May McHugh.

Expecting over 300,000 people to pass through the gates over the three days from Tuesday 20 September to Thursday 22, McHugh told the Irish Farmers Journal that online ticket sales are also going very well.

This is the first year tickets are available online before the event.

However, patrons will still be able to purchase tickets on the day as usual.

Happy with progress

"We are very happy with progress to date and we are happy with interest to date. Ticket sales are going extremely well for us online.

"We are delighted with the support we've got from past exhibitors and we've got an awful lot of new exhibitors this year as well," she said.

World Ploughing Championships

Also speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal was Anna Marie McHugh, general secretary of the World Ploughing Association, who said that the addition of the world ploughing competition was what will make this year's ploughing different to other years.

"The big thing happening this year is the world contest, that's massive for us. That's not something we had actually planned to have this year. Four months ago, we weren't having it and all of sudden now it's happening.

"We have 25 countries coming to plough this year. Already here now we have the New Zealanders, we have the Americans, as well as the Austrians."