It’s all go at the site of the 2024 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska with stands being built on site this week, assistant managing director of the National Ploughing Association Anna Marie McHugh has said.

“The trade arena is 90% done, we’ll be starting into the carpark shortly,” she said.

“Exhibitor numbers would be down on last year, but it’s not something that panics us, they come in peaks and troughs, it’s always the case.

“The same venue for a number of years would be a factor, the extremely tough conditions in 2023 another factor and economics, but the exhibition always recovers,” she said.

The NPA has signed off on a new through-way for buses this year, at a cost of €40,000, in the event that there is a deluge like last year.

“Luckily we’re a national not for profit organisation, so once there is money there to cover the event and NPA activities that’s what it’s about,” she said.

The smallest cost in going to the ploughing is what exhibitors pay the NPA, she added.

“If I was to comment on the biggest cost to trade exhibitions, it’s the cost of the build.

“The infrastructure build can be a ridiculous price, we would always say to exhibitors that having a presence is what is most important – not how extravagant the display is, exhibition rates start at under €1,000 early bird rate (5 x 9m stand) so it’s very affordable,” McHugh said.