THE World Ploughing Competition which is being held in conjunction with the National Championships was officially opened by the President, Mrs Robinson, yesterday.
The President described the event, which begins officially today, as the "ploughing olympics of the world" before signalling the raising of the national flags of the 28 participating nations.
The President, who praised the organisational skills of the National Ploughing Association, unveiled a Cairn of Peace on the site.
The cairn incorporates stones from each of the countries taking part in the world championships, which has taken "Let Peace Cultivate the Land" as its theme.
The President received a warm reception from the thousands of people who had braved the conditions on the site, which was swept by torrential rain on occasions yesterday.
The NPA said that despite the poor weather more than 30,000 people came to the site yesterday, visiting the hundreds of stands and viewing the machinery and the ploughing competitions.
A press conference on site was told that farm machinery sales would fall by between 7 and 10 per cent, partly because of the impact of BSE on farm economies.
The president of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association, Mr John Brady, said that while 1995 had been a record year for sales of farm machinery, this year would not be so good. "In the last two months the trade has really begun to feel the effects not only of the BSE but of the milk super-levy situation, which is having an even greater impact on sales," he said.
Mr Brady said that 40 combines worth over £100,000 each and 60 self-propelled vehicles had been sold last year and 2,650 tractors which sell at an average of £25-£30,000. "While last year was a record year and difficult to compare, there has been a decline in sales. However, tractor sales held up until June of this year. Mr Brady said that the ploughing championships were very important to the trade because it allowed machinery to be demonstrated. Orders normally flow from the show.
However, there was some better news on the BSE front yesterday when An Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, announced that the European markets for beef are recovering. It said that total export cattle disposals for 1996 were expected to be broadly similar to 1995 at 1,73 million head.
"Demand for imported product in European markets has been recovering in recent weeks and is expected to continue to improve over the coming months," said the board's report.
In the UK, it said, Irish exports were expected to be about 60 per cent of the 1995 level, and exports to France were expected to reach 70-80 per cent. In Italy, Ireland had retained market share The Netherlands market would take 85 per cent of last year's total, and exports to Germany were expected to be about 5,000-tonnes. In Scandinavia, the board expected, exports would be maintained at the 1995 level of 20,000 tonnes.
There were celebrations at the Waterford Foods stand when two of the company's staff, John O'Connor, the Wexford hurler and John McDermott, the Meath footballer, were honoured. Waterford Foods management presented them with specially commissioned crystal trophies'.
On the ploughing fields, Ireland's best-known ploughman, Martin Kehoe, qualified to represent Ireland again in the world competition in Australia next year. He is joined by a west Cork man, Mervyn Bateman (27).
The second-placed ploughman in the test, John Tracey, Carlow, was again deprived of a place in the championship because of the complicated eligibility rules operated by the NPA.
Results: Vintage Plough: Danny Glynn. Galway Standard Three Furrow Class: Martin Nugent, Waterford.
U-21 Championships, Junior: James Coulter, Down.
U-21 Championships, Senior: Seamus Curtis, Wexford.
Visitors' Class: Thomas A Cochran, Derry.
Senior Horse Championships: Thady Kelleher.
Reversible Ploughing: James Walsh, Wexford.