Norfolk's world-famous malting barley in the spotlight at county show
The crop - beloved by brewers, craft beer makers and whisky distillers across the globe - will be the central feature of the Discovery Zone when the show returns to the Norfolk Showground on June 25 and 26.
Norfolk processor Crisp Malt, based at Great Ryburgh near Fakenham, will help explain how the crop is grown, and its key role in food and drink production.
The exhibit is part of the 2025 show's central theme of "Celebrating Norfolk Food and Drink".
Mark Nicholas, managing director of show organisers the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA), said: "Norfolk produces the best malting barley in the world, and that will be the theme for the kids going around the Discovery Zone.
"By the way, we are on course to exceed last year's number of school children visiting the show, it will be in excess of 12,500, which is quite extraordinary.
"We are working closely with Crisp Malt to deliver a really interesting showcase on how malting barley is grown and how it is used in food and drink production process."
The show's education offerings extend to the neighbouring STEMM Village, now in its third year, which will explore how science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine are influencing the global food chain.
From cutting-edge agricultural methods to advances in biosciences, engineering and clean energy, exhibitors will explain how their work is improving sustainability, nutrition, health and production.
Norfolk-based farming charity the Clan Trust has donated £10,000 towards this year's STEMM Village and Discovery Zone, which it says play an "important role in inspiring and educating the next generation about agriculture, science, and technology".
"Supporting the educational aspects of the show aligns with the Clan Trust's mission to encourage and inspire young people to pursue careers in agriculture and related industries," said a charity spokesman. "We believe that by investing in these opportunities, we can help secure the future of farming and rural life across Norfolk."
For more details and tickets see .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
China shows signs of tackling the price wars that are taking a toll on its EV industry
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government is signaling enough is enough when it comes to the fierce competition in the country's electric car market. China's industrial policy has engineered a remarkable transformation to electric vehicles in what is the world's largest auto market. In so doing, it has spawned far more makers than can possibly survive. Now, long-simmering concerns about oversupply and debilitating price wars are coming to the fore, even as the headline sales numbers soar to new heights. Market-leader BYD announced this week that its sales grew 31% in the first six months of the year to 2.1 million cars. Nearly half of those were pure electric vehicles and the rest were plug-in hybrids, it said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing. The company phased out internal combustion engine cars in 2022. BYD came under thinly veiled criticism in late May when it launched a new round of price cuts, and several competitors followed suit. The chairman of Great Wall Motors warned the industry could come under threat if it continues on the same trajectory. 'When volumes get bigger, it's just much harder to manage and you become the bullseye,' said Lei Xing, an independent analyst who follows the industry. The government is trying to rein in what is called 'involution' — a term initially applied to the rat race for young people in China and now to companies and industries engaged in meaningless competition that leads nowhere. BYD has come under criticism for using its dominant position in ways that some consider unfair, sparking price wars that have caused losses across the industry, said Murthy Grandhi, an India-based financial risk analyst at GlobalData. With the price war in its fourth year, Chinese automakers are looking abroad for profits. BYD's overseas sales more than doubled to 464,000 units in the first half of this year. Worried governments in the U.S. and EU have imposed tariffs on made-in-China electric vehicles, saying that subsidies have given them an unfair advantage. Market leader BYD comes under attack The latest bout of handwringing started when BYD cut the price of more than 20 models on May 23. The same day, the chairman of Great Wall Motors, Wei Jianjun, said he was pessimistic about what he called the "healthy development' of the EV market. He drew a comparison to Evergrande, the Chinese real estate giant whose collapse sent the entire industry into a downturn from which it has yet to recover. "The Evergrande in the automobile industry already exists, but it is just yet to explode,' he said in a video message posted on social media. Two days later, a BYD executive rejected any comparison to Evergrande and posted data-filled charts to buttress his case. 'To be honest, I am confused and angry and it's ridiculous!' Li Yunfei, BYD's general manager of brand and public relations, wrote on social media. 'All these come from the shocking remarks made by Chairman Wei of Great Wall Motors.' Next, the government and an industry association weighed in. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers called for fair competition and healthy development of the industry, noting that major price cuts by one automaker had triggered a new price war panic. On the same day, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology vowed to tackle involution-style competition in the auto industry, saying that recent disorderly price wars posed a treat to the healthy and sustainable development of the sector. 'That price cut might have been the final straw that irked both competitors and regulators for the ruthlessness that BYD continues to show,' Lei said. A promise to pay suppliers within 60 days signals possible shift The following month, 17 automakers including BYD made a pledge: They would pay their suppliers within 60 days. One way China's automakers have been surviving the bruising price wars is by delaying the payments for months. The agreement, if adhered to, would reduce financial pressure on suppliers and could rein in some of the fierce competition. 'The introduction of the 60-day payment pledge is the call of the government to oppose involution-style competition," said Cui Dongshu, the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association. It also reduces the risk of an Evergrande-like scenario. Many automakers had stretched out payments by paying suppliers with short-term debt — promises to repay them in a certain period of time — instead of cash. Real estate developers used the same system. It worked until it didn't. When Evergrande defaulted on its debts, suppliers were left holding worthless promises to pay. 'This practice is seen as a potential cause of a larger crisis, similar to what happened with Evergrande,' Grandhi said. The vows to speed up payments and the government calls to rein in the price wars, along with a rollback of some financing offers, point to an effort to reverse downward price expectations, said Jing Yang, a director at Fitch Ratings who focuses on the auto industry. 'We may watch how effectively these measures are in reversing the price trend and how would that affect EV demand in the coming quarters,' she said.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
New Naperville Jack in the Box scheduled to open in August
It's been at least 40 years since the suburbs have had a taste of one of the West Coast's favorite burger places. But take one look at the recently refreshed site of a former Arby's restaurant along Ogden Avenue in Naperville, and it's clear — Jack in the Box is almost back. The California-based fast-food chain is set to open in August at 1600 E. Ogden Ave., according to Jack in the Box's website. The shop is one of eight company-operated restaurants set to open across the suburbs and the city this year, the company said in a media release. 'This strategic expansion into Chicago allows us to not only satisfy long-standing customer demand for our brand, but also to become a key member in the region's thriving restaurant scene,' Darin Harris, CEO of Jack in the Box, said in the release. The Naperville restaurant plans to offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts with a drive-through lane, the company's website said, with customer favorites including burgers, tacos, chicken sandwiches and milkshakes. Jack in the Box is known for 24-hour operations and a menu the company describes as 'craveable' and 'iconic.' It was unclear from the Naperville location's webpage whether this site will be open at all hours. A spokeswoman on behalf of the company declined comment, saying Jack in the Box doesn't 'have any new information to share at this time.' Jack in the Box this week hosted three days of job fairs at the Chicago Marriott Naperville hotel, hoping to hire full-time team leaders with experience in the restaurant industry and team members to staff the new restaurant. In a ZipRecruiter posting, the company said it was seeking 'enthusiastic individuals to lead our late-night team and join our regular shift operations.' In preparing for the planned August opening, Jack in the Box received a commercial building permit for a new building or addition from the city of Naperville. The city issued the permit on March 6, spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said. The restaurant joins an area of Naperville — one of the city's eastern gateways — that has undergone transformation, streetscape improvements and beautification in recent years. Located just east of Ogden's intersection with Naper Boulevard, Jack in the Box will join other new or redeveloped sites in the area, including Costco, Amazon Fresh, several restaurants and the Casey's gas station and convenience store.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
China shows signs of tackling the price wars that are taking a toll on its EV industry
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government is signaling enough is enough when it comes to the fierce competition in the country's electric car market. China's industrial policy has engineered a remarkable transformation to electric vehicles in what is the world's largest auto market. In so doing, it has spawned far more makers than can possibly survive. Now, long-simmering concerns about oversupply and debilitating price wars are coming to the fore, even as the headline sales numbers soar to new heights. Market-leader BYD announced this week that its sales grew 31% in the first six months of the year to 2.1 million cars. Nearly half of those were pure electric vehicles and the rest were plug-in hybrids, it said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing. The company phased out internal combustion engine cars in 2022. BYD came under thinly veiled criticism in late May when it launched a new round of price cuts, and several competitors followed suit. The chairman of Great Wall Motors warned the industry could come under threat if it continues on the same trajectory. 'When volumes get bigger, it's just much harder to manage and you become the bullseye,' said Lei Xing, an independent analyst who follows the industry. The government is trying to rein in what is called 'involution' — a term initially applied to the rat race for young people in China and now to companies and industries engaged in meaningless competition that leads nowhere. BYD has come under criticism for using its dominant position in ways that some consider unfair, sparking price wars that have caused losses across the industry, said Murthy Grandhi, an India-based financial risk analyst at GlobalData. With the price war in its fourth year, Chinese automakers are looking abroad for profits. BYD's overseas sales more than doubled to 464,000 units in the first half of this year. Worried governments in the U.S. and EU have imposed tariffs on made-in-China electric vehicles, saying that subsidies have given them an unfair advantage. The latest bout of handwringing started when BYD cut the price of more than 20 models on May 23. The same day, the chairman of Great Wall Motors, Wei Jianjun, said he was pessimistic about what he called the 'healthy development' of the EV market. He drew a comparison to Evergrande, the Chinese real estate giant whose collapse sent the entire industry into a downturn from which it has yet to recover. 'The Evergrande in the automobile industry already exists, but it is just yet to explode,' he said in a video message posted on social media. Two days later, a BYD executive rejected any comparison to Evergrande and posted data-filled charts to buttress his case. 'To be honest, I am confused and angry and it's ridiculous!' Li Yunfei, BYD's general manager of brand and public relations, wrote on social media. 'All these come from the shocking remarks made by Chairman Wei of Great Wall Motors.' Next, the government and an industry association weighed in. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers called for fair competition and healthy development of the industry, noting that major price cuts by one automaker had triggered a new price war panic. On the same day, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology vowed to tackle involution-style competition in the auto industry, saying that recent disorderly price wars posed a treat to the healthy and sustainable development of the sector. 'That price cut might have been the final straw that irked both competitors and regulators for the ruthlessness that BYD continues to show,' Lei said. The following month, 17 automakers including BYD made a pledge: They would pay their suppliers within 60 days. One way China's automakers have been surviving the bruising price wars is by delaying the payments for months. The agreement, if adhered to, would reduce financial pressure on suppliers and could rein in some of the fierce competition. 'The introduction of the 60-day payment pledge is the call of the government to oppose involution-style competition,' said Cui Dongshu, the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association. It also reduces the risk of an Evergrande-like scenario. Many automakers had stretched out payments by paying suppliers with short-term debt — promises to repay them in a certain period of time — instead of cash. Real estate developers used the same system. It worked until it didn't. When Evergrande defaulted on its debts, suppliers were left holding worthless promises to pay. 'This practice is seen as a potential cause of a larger crisis, similar to what happened with Evergrande,' Grandhi said. The vows to speed up payments and the government calls to rein in the price wars, along with a rollback of some financing offers, point to an effort to reverse downward price expectations, said Jing Yang, a director at Fitch Ratings who focuses on the auto industry. 'We may watch how effectively these measures are in reversing the price trend and how would that affect EV demand in the coming quarters,' she said.
