Everyone welcome in the FSB Business and Agri Pavilion at the Balmoral Show

Next week will see months of planning and preparation come together as the Show and all its participants work to accommodate and entertain the tens of thousands of visitors who will arrive on each of the four days, as almost 10% of the population of Northern Ireland makes the annual pilgrimage to Balmoral Park near Lisburn.

Aside from the fabulous experience the Show will give to visitors, business will be using it as an opportunity to engage with policymakers and politicians to explore the myriad challenges they face from domestic, national, and international legislation, regulation and enforcement.

There are threats and there are opportunities, so NI’s leading representative organisations will be there in force, showcasing the successes of their members, and seizing every opportunity to engage our politicians – from the newly returned Stormont Executive Ministers to councillors, MLAs, MPs and more.

Already this year, FSB and the Ulster Farmers Union have worked together to tackle problems arising from the movement of second hand agricultural and forestry machinery from GB to NI.

The problems had their origins in the NI Protocol which were partially resolved by the Windsor Framework, but still the industry was hamstrung. Several months of intense engagement secured a successful outcome, and so we move on to the next challenge.

In this case, FSB and the UFU are now focussed on the threat stemming from the rapidly shortening grace period for veterinary medicines which, if we fail to get political agreement, could see a vast number of animal treatments withdrawn from the market here, with impacts for agri businesses, pet-owners, vets and many more.

The Show creates an outstanding backdrop to illustrate the importance of the sectors in a way that can never be achieved in a city meeting room.

But beyond the lobbying to improve the operating environment by changing legislation, the Show will also see products demonstrated, new markets explored, deals done, and more. FSB will once again be joined on our Stand by a number of strategic partners whose role is to support and facilitate business in many ways.

Logistics specialists, Manfreight, who won the Innovation Award in the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards for their intelligent warehouse solution, Project Ark, will be the mainstay of our stand within the FSB Business and Agri Pavilion. Alongside them, two trade support organisations – Made in Britain and Intertrade Ireland – will also be on hand to give advice to all types of businesses trading across the island of Ireland, UK and internationally; and independent commercial law firm, McKees, will have members of their multi-jurisdictional team available to discuss a range of issues and queries.

All of what we describe as the ‘agri-food supply chain’ will be at the Show – from primary producers of meat, fruit, vegetables and cereals, to processors, packagers, distributors, marketeers, consumers and even disposal. And the equipment and inputs that farmers need - from machinery, fertilisers, seeds – will also be on show, as will the support services of insurance, finance, genetics and more. Our ‘agri-food’ sector combines to make it one of the biggest in our economy, employing hundreds of thousands and feeding almost 10m people, and being a real source of innovation and development.

At the ‘consumption’ end of the chain, the Show will feature a cornucopia of delights to sample and to buy. The promotional voice for the industry, Food NI, will again be staging their showcase food court, promoting the people who produce it and those who serve it in cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels across NI, celebrating world-class ingredients and chefs.

So at the Balmoral Show next week, take time to enjoy and explore, to see every aspect of our agri-food sector, to speak to us at the Balmoral Suite in the FSB Business and Agri Pavilion, and to celebrate all that is great about business and the countryside.