With the NFU's ring-side marquee being Worcestershire and Herefordfshire's responsibility for the previous two years, it was Gloucestershire's turn to host this year.
Food and drink produced by county members were enjoyed at a special reception where strawberries and cream, cheese and beef were on offer, along with sparkling wine and a guest appearance from a Ribena cocktail.
NFU President addresses the crowd
NFU President Tom Bradshaw spoke on the first morning of the three-day show, held at the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire.
In a wide-ranging address, he told members about the NFU's work on bovine TB, environmental schemes, the impact of the war in the Middle East and the need for reforms to the planning system.
With regard to environmental schemes, Tom pointed out that the amount of funding being made available through them was not enough for them to meet their ambitions.
“The question you’ll be asking is: can you afford to look after the environment?"
Tom said the Food and Farming Partnership Board, established following the farm profitability report produced by Baroness Minette Batters, was an important part of this process
He also talked about the shortcomings of the planning system, which he said was holding up agricultural investment worth more than a billion pounds.
“We have to turn planning into an enabler not a blocker. It needs to be much more dynamic to unlock all that potential.”
“The environment can be seen as the butter cream. We need to work on building the cake, building a resilient farm industry.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt was also present on the first day, and was part of a bTB discussion panel.
NFU Dairy Board Chair Ian Harvey and NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton were on-hand to address a packed marquee and to speak to visiting members.