NFU West Sussex Chair Andrew Strong, NFU West Sussex Council Representative Caroline Harriott, NFU Regional Director Zoe Leach, NFU Surrey County Adviser Harriet Henrick and NFU National Water Resources Specialist Mark Betson are among those who will be attending the first day of the three-day show, at the South of England Showground, at Ardingly, West Sussex, on Friday.
Mr Strong, who runs a pig farm near Haywards Heath, said: “I’m looking forwarding to attending such a fantastic, show which celebrates all that is great about the countryside.
“Farming is vital to Sussex and the South East and I see all the time how much support there is for our farmers from the public here.
“We really appreciate that support, which is crucial as we look to tackle some of the many challenges the farming industry is facing.
“I look forward to meeting some of our members and the public, discussing some of the key farming issues and thanking people for their fantastic support.”
Farming provides more than 45,500 jobs in the South East and London, according to figures from DEFRA.
DEFRA figures also show that farming contributes more than £813m to the economy of the South East and London.
The NFU is working to tackle some huge challenges being faced by farmers in the South East, including the proposed family farm tax, escalating rural crime, the impact of the driest spring in over a century, the shortage of small and medium-sized abattoirs, the impact of the US and EU trade agreements and uncertainty over the future of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – the government’s flagship environmental support scheme for agriculture.
Last month, Defra was forced to reopen the SFI 2024 scheme to around 3,000 applicants, after a group of NFU-backed farmers threatened legal action over its decision to close the SFI without notice.
The NFU is working to address ongoing concerns about SFI, including restrictions on who can apply and what they can claim and the long-term future of the scheme.
At the South of England Show, on Friday, people are invited to attend a drinks reception, where Caroline Harriott will be a keynote speaker.
A second-generation farmer, who farms on the edge of Arundel, and is the NFU’s West Sussex Council Representative, Caroline Harriott is a passionate advocate for British farming.
She will speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in the South East —sharing how she balances commercial farming with nature conservation, and how her work with schools and local clusters is shaping public understanding of farming’s role in society.
The reception starts at 4.15pm. Places are limited and booking is essential.
Reserve your ticket by going to www.rase.org.uk/events