His Royal Highness Crown Prince Regent Haakon of Norway has sent a digital greeting to the Norwegian Farmers’ Association, thanking the organisation for 125 years of protecting Norwegian agriculture and suitable working conditions for farmers. In his message, Crown Prince Haakon emphasised his thanks to the association for providing short-haul food of high quality during the pandemic and for Norwegian farmers contributing to increased food security.
His Royal Highness said: “Thank you for taking environmental considerations into account and are concerned with managing our resources in a good way. Thank you for your tenacity and perseverance which is absolutely necessary for farming under demanding conditions. Thank you for your creativity, which we constantly see examples of in the development of new additional industries and adjustment to new times.”
The Norwegian royal family has been linked to agriculture since 1905 through the Bygdø royal farm and the Skaugum farm. During a visit to farmers in Stokke in Vestfold last autumn, Crown Prince Haakon met farmers who had been affected by the pandemic. The Crown Prince visited a vegetable packing plant and two farms to hear how the agricultural industry has experienced the corona situation.
When the Norwegian Farmers’ Association turned 100 years old, His Majesty King Harald was present at the government’s large-scale celebration at Akershus Castle in Oslo. Several local farmers’ team members were invited as guests to the garden party in the Queen’s Park in Oslo in 2016. During their travels in Norway, both King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit have met representatives of agriculture, and through these meetings gained insight into the challenges facing the agricultural industry.
Not least, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess received a good insight into agriculture on they many visits to the famous trade and agricultural fair ‘Dyrsku’n’. For 155 years, Dyrsku’n has attracted farmers, livestock, business and not least families to the annual agricultural fair. Dyrsku’n is still an important arena where Norwegian agriculture looks ahead. During his reign, King Olav was also one of the 854,000 who wanted to experience “modern agriculture” during the anniversary exhibition at Ekeberg in Oslo in 1959.
