Show director '˜excited' on eve of the 159th GYS

The man at the helm of the Great Yorkshire Show said the stage is set for farmers to grasp a crucial moment for their industry and showcase the full power of Yorkshire food and farming on the opening day of the 159th show.

Show director, Charles Mills, told The Yorkshire Post that there was “excitement” at the prospect of this year’s three-day rural extravaganza, which opens tomorrow after a full year of planning.

More than 130,000 visitors are expected to pass through the gates by the end of its third and final day on Thursday.

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Mr Mills, a farmer from Appleton Roebuck near York, said the showground was just about ready for day one and that the show’s agenda was very much about putting food and farming at the front of people’s minds.

“It’s still very busy (at the showground), there is a lot of livestock and trade stands still to come in but it is starting to look like a show.”

For Mr Mills, this week’s Great Yorkshire will be his second as show director at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the event’s hosts in Harrogate.

“Arriving here this morning, there was the realisation that all the hard work is virtually complete and there is excitement.

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“It’s great trying to put the profile of agriculture in the right position and we are very much trying to showcase what this industry is about.”

Farmers will attend the show in high spirits, he said, despite an undercurrent of uncertainty dogging the industry whilst the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union are negotiated.

Since last year’s show, a post-Brexit referendum spike in commodity values, dictated by a weakened pound, has delivered some welcome respite from the worst effects of farmgate price volatility.

“I think currency has certainly helped the equation, the devaluation of the pound has given a boost right across the board in agriculture in the short term and the industry is really quite buoyant coming into this year’s show,” Mr Mills said.

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“The uncertainty is still there but the nature of farmers is to be quite positive about the future and the future of agriculture looks very good.”

As for his hopes for the three days, the show director added: “For the two groups (farmers and the public) to get together and chat about food production - see the best food on show in the food hall and best animals in the country in the show rings.”