The dairy section of the Warrnambool Show has been dropped for 2019.
The dairy section has been cut from this year’s Warrnambool Show but only temporarily, says the city’s Agricultural Society president.
Jason Callaway said declining committee membership meant there was no one available to take on the role of volunteer chief dairy steward.
“As a result we made the decision not to run the dairy exhibit in 2019 but it isn’t off the shelf for good,” he said.
“Without a chief steward we would have struggled to run the section this year but we are already in discussion with a couple of people to see who can come on for next year’s show.”
Mr Callaway said it was a bit of a disappointing outcome.
“I think all of our dairy sponsors were keen to sponsor again and a few farmers were interested in coming to show their dairy cattle again,” he said.
“Unfortunately numbers have also dropped off in dairy exhibits over the last few years. That is possibly due to the economics of the dairy industry. There’s not a lot of money in the industry for farmers to take a day or two days off and take their cows away.
“I think that difficulty has added to the decision not to run the section this year but the main reason was definitely because we just didn’t have the volunteer numbers to run that section.
“I am very, very confident that the dairy section will be up and running again next year.”
Mr Callaway said the rest of the agricultural exhibitions would still go ahead.
“The beef exhibition is looking like it will be bigger than last year. Poultry is looking good, the animal nursery looks really good and the sheep will probably be as big, if not bigger than last year,” he said.
“We are really happy that the rest of our rural, agricultural-type shows are continuing to grow and it is unfortunate that we just don’t have the man power to run the dairy section this year.”
The Warrnambool Show will be held from 9am to 10pm on Saturday, October 26.
Mr Callaway said this year’s theme was ‘all things country’.
He said the event would include all of the usual events and activities, as well as a new ute exhibition.
This story first appeared on The Standard
