Bellamy in show warning

Friday 5th June 2009, 12:11PM BST.

Naturalist and television presenter Professor David Bellamy has warned that the global recession means the need to support events such as this year’s West Mid Show in Shrewsbury has never been more important.

The president of the 120th show, which will be held at the town’s Berwick Road showground on June 27 and 28, said agricultural shows had an important role to play in the future of the rural economy.

Mr Bellamy, whose presidency coincides with Shrewsbury’s bi-centenary celebrations of its most famous son, Charles Darwin, said he was also delighted to have been asked to carry out the role for this year’s event.

Mr Bellamy said: “The great agricultural shows of Britain, of which this is one of the oldest, still have a very important role to play in promoting the importance of agriculture and the rural economy to the wider public.

“As Darwin would have realised, farmers look after 95 per cent of our English countryside and its great variety of wildlife, which they do with great care and sensitivity.

“Not only that, but their role in the production of much of the food, which we eat, has never been more important than now, at this time of world recession.”

Mr Bellamy will be appearing on both days of the show and will be chatting to visitors to the showground.

View more: West Mid Show news.