The Show Must Go On (Even If It Is Virtually)

On the morning of what should have been the first day 180^th Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s premier showcase for food and farming, NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick says the show must go on.

With no national or local shows to attend, he urges people to take the time to still engage, plan and relax and lends his support to rural charity RSABI’s #KeepTalking day taking place tomorrow (18 June) on what would have been the first day of the four-day extravaganza.  He writes:

“The national and local social engagement for everyone and the escape from the day to day business, routine and stress of crofting and farming has been stolen from us by this virus, but agriculture still goes on.  We must use some of our non-show time to speak to friends and neighbours.  Without doubt, “the Highland” and all other shows would have been a very important relief valve for many this year – and they will be again.

“For NFUS, we will be missing the informal chat with our members from the length and breadth of the country, usually over a cup of tea and a strawberry tart.

“The stakeholder and retailer meetings, discussions with politicians, media briefings that usually take up most of the Thursday and Friday will not be lost and are happening through video conferences during lockdown.

“It’s not the same.  Videoconferencing is good for doing business, but I would suggest where it fails is on networking and interpersonal relationship building, both of which are very important.

“It is not the week we had hoped and planned for but please try and find some time to have a catch up with a few friends and or neighbours.

“Why not relax, pick up the phone or set up the laptop, have a bit of banter and plan for next year at a great Highland Show. We all need a bit of unwinding and I encourage all in farming to find some time to do that this “Highland” show week.”

Read the full blog at: https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/blog/presidents-blog-17-june-2020