Ireland has put in a bid to host the 67th World Ploughing Championship.
The event was to take place in St Petersburg on August 13 and 14 following a three-year gap because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The World Ploughing Organisation held an online meeting last night and decided to cancel the event due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The WPO strongly condemns Russia and it’s leadership for what it describes as “ atrocious conduct”.
The World Ploughing Organisation’s slogan is: “Pax Arva Collat – Let Peace Cultivate The Soil.”
Russia’s conduct towards Ukraine is in direct contradiction with this objective.
The World Championships were planned to take place in Ireland in 2021 to coincide with the National Ploughing Association’s 90th anniversary celebrations but were cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Championships last took place in Minnesota, USA, in 2019 and were set to return to Ireland in 2023. Irish woman Anna Marie McHugh is general Secretary of the WPO and a decision on a location for 2022 is expected shortly.
