One of the leading one-day agricultural events, the Royal Ulster Winter Fair gets under way next Thursday, December 14, at the Eikon Exhibition Centre and Logan Hall, Balmoral Park, Lisburn.

The Eikon Centre will be transformed into a winter wonderland for dairy farmers with the return of the popular farm business event, running from 9 am to 6 pm.

With almost 200 trade stands filling the Eikon and Logan Hall, visitors will be able to browse and engage with the latest technologies and innovations within the dairy and agricultural industry.

The Scottish Farmer: Judging under way at an earlier Winter Fair.Judging under way at an earlier Winter Fair.

The Winter Fair – held in association with sole sponsor, Danske Bank – welcomes the return of many visitor favourites including Alan Milne Tractors – Dieci, Cookstown Dairy Services, Dale Farm, Dovea Genetics and Moore Concrete as well as NC Engineering Ltd, Northern Lift Trucks Ltd, Slurrykat, Johnston Gilpin and Co/Stephen Moore Farm Machinery and Wilson Agri.

New to the Show this year are EnviroSystems (UK) Ltd, Goldcrop, Greenhill Systems Ltd, Hoof Doc, Moonsyst, Splash It and international award-winning German supplier, Förster-Technik.

In the livestock section, there are classes for Holstein, Ayrshire, Dairy Shorthorn and Jersey breeds as exhibitors compete for the coveted title of Supreme Champion. There is accommodation for 200 cattle.

To view a full list of trade stands exhibiting at the 2023 Show, see winterfair.org.uk.

The provisional judging programme is as follows.

9 am – Judging of Showmanship Classes;

10 am – Judging of Dairy Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein breed classes; Judging of Junior Championships; Judging of Heifer Championships;

12.30 pm– Lunch Break;

1 pm – Class judging continued;

3 pm – Judging of Breed Championships; and

4 pm – Judging of Supreme Championship.