While numbers of livestock going to the National Ploughing Championships are down on other years, there is still plenty to see and do for cattle and sheep enthusiasts at this year’s Championships, which take place from Tuesday 19 September to Thursday 21 September in Ratheniska, Co Laois.

Exhibiting cattle at the championships has become an expensive business in the last number of years, with marquee hire and staff accounting for a big expense on breed society budgets that are already tight.

There will, however, be hundreds of companies exhibiting that provide services and products to livestock farmers during the year and it’s an important event to take note of all the changes happening in the livestock industry.

Sheep

For sheep farmers, a large number of breed societies will be in attendance in their popular sheep tunnel.

Close to 20 breed societies will have stands and livestock in the sheep tunnel in Ratheniska.

There will also be a number of companies that manufacture sheep handling units and weighing scales exhibiting in the sheep section.

Tech Talks

On the Irish Farmers Journal stand, we will be running live Tech Talks every day at 10.30am and 3.30pm, where the livestock team and tillage editor Siobhán Walsh will chat about everything important to their specific sectors and what the outlook is like for 2024.

If you are attending this year’s National Ploughing Championships, call to our stand for a chat with the Irish Farmers Journal team at any stage over the three days.