OFFICIALS have confirmed that this year’s Monmouthshire Show will not be hosting a horticultural section.

Liz Egerton, show secretary has said that due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control, the horticulture section will not take place in 2016.She said: “The Monmouthshire Show Society are not able to run the horticulture section at our show in 2016, though our homecraft section is most definitely still taking place and entries are open until Friday 19th August."

Local growers will now have to wait until 2017 to exhibit their finest cabbage and their most colourful flower displays.

Next year’s event will take place on a Saturday for the first time in the show’s history, but some exhibitors are unsure whether they can get their fruit and vegetables ready in time for the early July slot.

The decision to move show day to the first Saturday in July was taken by the show committee last year as it was proving difficult for their volunteers to find time during the week to commit to stewarding the event.

It is not a decision they have taken lightly, but over the years the switch to seven day shopping has meant that the original idea of holding the event to coincide with half day closing on a Thursday has now become obsolete.