Ploughing Championship called off

Ireland’s main annual farming event, the Ploughing Championship, has been called off.

Organisers say the decision to cancel the event was taken due to the continuing threat of foot-and-mouth disease from Britain.

Earlier it was reported that a number of major exhibitors had pulled out.

The Minister for Agriculture today said the threat of the disease here is far from being a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, the IFA dairy committee has called for an all-Ireland effort to keep the disease out.