Swann '˜make it a double delight' for Ballymoney

Mr Swann, who is also North Antrim UUP Chairman and Party Chief Whip, has attended the annual show on many occasions as President of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster and Chairman of Rural Youth Europe.

And he urged the community to “make it a double delight for the region” by attending the forthcoming North Antrim Agricultural Show in neighbouring Ballymoney.

Assemblyman Swann, a former member of the Stormont farming committee in the past Assembly, also praised the organisers of the recent Ballymena Show on staging “a very impressive and highly enjoyable event”.

Mr Swann had earlier made an appeal to the North Antrim community to rally behind the constituency’s farming sector and support both Ballymena Show and the forthcoming agricultural show in Ballymoney.

As well as the North Antrim shows, Assemblyman Swann also urged the Northern Ireland community to support their local agricultural shows throughout the Province.

In his statement, Mr Swann said: “I congratulate the organisers of the Ballymena Show on the quality of their arrangements. I spent a most enjoyable time touring the stands and the events. One of the most impressive elements was the number of exhibitors and small businesses participating in the show.

“This augers well for the future development of the farming community in the constituency. The annual agricultural show has firmly established itself as one of the premier events in Ballymena borough’s calendar, and it has withstood the strains imposed on it by hurdles such as Foot and Mouth and the BSE crisis.

“Indeed, judging by the continued popularity with both the farming industry and the public, the annual show has gained the credible name of being one of Ballymena’s ambassador events.

“This reputation has been built over the years through the hard work and dedication from those responsible for organising this quality show.

“We also commend the commitment shown by everyone who helped make this year’s show such a beacon of success and professionalism for the borough of Ballymena in spite of the challenging weather,” said Assemblyman Swann.