Agricultural shows have record attendance but volunteer numbers are down

Agricultural shows across New South Wales are starting to see a return to the big numbers they attracted before the pandemic, but can they keep up with the demand?

Volunteers from across the state converged in Dubbo on the weekend for a conference looking at the future of agricultural shows after a tumultuous few years.

The shows are run almost entirely by volunteers, with AgShows NSW counting about 16,000 active members.

But the volunteer network skews towards the older demographic, who were hit particularly hard in the pandemic.

"We've lost a few of the older volunteers," said Jody Gleeson, vice-president of AgShows NSW, which is holding the event in Dubbo.

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Article written by: Hannah Jose