The 90th Libramont Agricultural and Forestry Fair ended on Monday evening on a broadly positive note, organisers said, after several high-profile visits during an edition that also marked the 100th anniversary of the body behind the event.
Ahead of the opening, the King and Queen travelled to the heart of the Ardennes to attend preparations for what is billed as Europe’s largest open-air agricultural fair.
On Monday, Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited the event for the first time. Describing himself as a “true city boy,” he met figures from the farming and agri-food sectors, both of which have been hit hard by successive crises.
European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen also visited Libramont on Monday, marking his second visit in consecutive years, as he noted, in less than two years in office.
Between those visits, the fair passed without any major incidents and was largely spared bad weather. Rain that fell over the Ardennes on Sunday evening was likely welcomed by farmers after weeks of drought.
On attendance, new Libramont Coopéralia chief executive Olivier Van Cauwelaert said the crowds were “more or less the same” as in previous years. He did not give a visitor figure, noting that the counting method has been changed.
As every two years, the agricultural fair continues on Tuesday and Wednesday with two days of forestry demonstrations in Bertrix. The event is under close watch because of the risk of fire outbreaks, and organisers are expecting several tens of thousands of visitors.
