The countdown to the 2020 Upper Clutha A&P Show has started, as fences appear on Wanaka’s Pembroke Park and teams of volunteers descend on the showgrounds, moving paraphernalia and equipment out of storage.
Organisers said entry numbers were up this year for cattle class competitions and horse events, and there were double the number of sheep exhibitors in the show, often referred to as when "country comes to town".
Wool convener Martin Paterson said he would not know the exact number of fleeces entered until the day of the competition but they were coming from Canterbury and all through Otago.
Wool will be a big feature of the March 13-14 Wanaka show, as it follows the international Merino Excellence 2020 conference in Cromwell on March 12, he said.
An exhibition showing all the processes wool goes through to become material for suiting, knitwear and carpets would be on in a marquee next to the wool room.
Mr Paterson said the show committee had decided to make the show "not just a place for exhibitions and farms to compete but educational, too."
The Wanaka A&P Show was one of the premium shows in New Zealand, due largely to the trade exhibitions and stalls.
It was a great way for farmers to socialise and also to see and hear about the latest innovations, he said.
Farmers were adopting new technology quite rapidly and "wool had led the way".
Sustainability was also a focus.
"Our slogan is ‘wool is the sustainable fibre now and into the future’," Mr Paterson said.
The Wanaka A&P show is on March 13 and 14 in the showgrounds and Pembroke Park.
