NZ Agricultural Show - After Physical Event Cancelled For Second Year, Television Show Made Instead!

PREMIERES THIS SUNDAY - TVNZ 1, 11.00AM

Celebrating the backbone of our country

The New Zealand Agricultural Show has been resurrected into an uplifting one hour television special celebrating our great rural characters. The television special was created after the on the ground event in Christchurch was cancelled for the second consecutive year.

Screening this Sunday TVNZ 1 on Sunday December 12, 2021, at 11am, the one hour show will be hosted by Ali Pugh (TVNZ News reporter), and Tangaroa Walker (Farm4Life, Dairy Farmer and media personality), giving people a chance to come together and meet some of today’s great agricultural characters as well as some from the show’s 158 year history.

The New Zealand Agricultural Show 2021 TV1 Special will feature all the unique stories of the show, from the latest innovations to traditions steeped in history. Ali will help get a bull ready for a virtual beef competition and Tangaroa learns how to milk goats and joins a regional farmers surfing group striving to make a difference.

The diversity of New Zealand’s rural community will be celebrated, giving farmers and New Zealanders of all ages something to enjoy at the end of another challenging year. Did you know pigs are washed then oiled before a show or that the kayaks are now being made from an iconic agricultural product? Who, (if you are old enough) will forget the Dog Show of the 80s? Man, dog and sheep was an unlikely formula for Kiwi TV Gold. The show introduces the best sheep dog trialists of today.

The NZ Agricultural Show, the biggest in New Zealand, was due to be held from November 21 but was cancelled for just the second time since World War II, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The physical event normally attracts a crowd in excess of 100,000 - and those involved were disappointed to have to cancel again, five weeks out from the event. General Manager of the iconic event, Tracy Ahern is pleased the TV show means thousands of Kiwis can still celebrate the show - and New Zealand’s agricultural industry.

Says Tracy, “The overall feel of the New Zealand Agricultural Show 2021 Special is one of celebration - as it should be! We’re celebrating and exploring some of the diverse jobs, animals, innovations and people in our industry!”

Appropriately, as a true reflection of the last year, the show will shine a light on some of the issues Covid-19 has created. New Zealand’s biggest industry is currently facing some of its greatest challenges: climate change, environmental constraints, labour shortages and shipping issues. The State of the Rural Nation Survey found around 70 per cent of rural Kiwis say they have felt increased stress over the last five years and 54 per cent attributed financial pressures as the main reason.

But, ultimately, the show will be upbeat and fun, giving the entire industry something to kick back, relax and watch - and, importantly, look ahead to an exciting future.

The New Zealand Agricultural Show will be shown on TVNZ On Demand after screening and will also be available on the NZ Agricultural Show’s YouTube channel youtube.com/c/NZAGSHOW - watch and you could win tickets to next year's show in Christchurch which Tracy is adamant - will be happening!

The New Zealand Agricultural Show screens Sunday 12th December at 11am on TVNZ 1, then available on TVNZ On Demand.

ENDS

The New Zealand Agricultural Show Presenters -

Tangaroa Walker

Tangaroa Walker is the face behind Farm4Life, a professional Contract Milker, public speaker, Gym owner and author of the book “Farm 4 Life: Mahi, Mana and a Life on the Land.” He is a past winner of the NZ Ahuwhenua Trophy Young Maori Farmer of the Year and also NZ Primary ITODTOTY.

Farm4Life is an online dairy farming education platform which brings real life rural to over 1.2M screens every month and is world’s first ever all encompassing video learning educational dairy hub giving viewers the experience before they need it!

Ali Pugh

Broadcaster Ali Pugh has been presenting and reporting for TVNZ shows for more than 10 years.

Now a mother of three girls and based in Christchurch, the former Breakfast host works as a producer and journalist for One news.

Ali has covered many of the major events of the last few years - including the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, the Pike River Mine disaster and the Covid 19 pandemic.

About The New Zealand Agricultural Show

The three-day New Zealand Agricultural show is organised by the Canterbury A&P Association and is the biggest agricultural and pastoral show in New Zealand. It has been run for nearly 160 years and attracts around 100,000 people annually, celebrating all that is great about rural life.The Show has welcomed over one million visitors since moving to Canterbury Agricultural Park in 1997.

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