THE Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which sustained a loss of half-a-million pounds due to the cancellation of this year's show in July, has asked the National Assembly for a lifeline of £400,000.

Dr Emrys Evans, chairman of the Royal Welsh board of management, told the society's annual meeting that he had written to the Assembly appealing for help to ensure the society's continuing viability and its vital role in the farming industry and the rural communities that were so dependent on it for survival.

Dr Evans stressed that the cancellation would have a serious impact on the society's finances for the next three years and suggested a one-off payment of £400,000 or the equivalent sum paid in annual tranches of £200,000 this year, £100,000 in 2002, and £100,000 in 2003.

The cancellation of the show had dealt a body blow to the society's hopes and aspirations and instead of achieving a surplus in keeping with last year's results of £262,000, the society had incurred a loss of half a million pounds, including a loss to date of £38,000 as a result of the cancellation of 74 events on the showground. Dr Evans said the financial implications were extensive, not just for the society but for the rural economy. A new impact study this year had been deferred because of foot and mouth but the board of management could confidently forecast that in view of the increase in activities on the showground since 1993, the society's contribution to the economy of the area was now well in excess of £35 million a year.