A PAGEANT depicting agriculture over the last century marks the millennium and the 50th Great Yorkshire Show at its Harrogate showground.

The 40-minute event, entitled Reaping the Past - Sowing the Future, takes place each afternoon of the show, from Tuesday to Thursday next week.

Former Blue Peter presenter Mr Peter Purves provides the commentary and traces the story of increased mechanisation in the farming industry. Downlands Cancara, the famous Lloyds TSB black horse, opens the pageant.

Children from six Yorkshire schools, including East Cowton CE primary, near Northallerton, take part in the event, which on Wednesday concludes with a blessing the plough ceremony led by the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope.

Livestock entries have held up well in spite of the farming crisis, with sheep and cattle up to 1,468 and 859 respectively. The number of goats due before the judges also shows an increase, from 258 last year to 323, the second highest entry ever. Only pigs are down - a slight drop of 18 to 223.

Mr Christopher Hall, show director, said: "With an industry which continues to suffer, we were naturally apprehensive about how strongly classes would be supported so it is extremely pleasing to see the numbers standing up so well.

"Farmers are still having a tough time, showing animals is both time consuming and expensive, so we do appreciate the support they have given us."

Chief cattle steward Mr Bill Cowling said commercial beef had a specially good entry with 98 animals, the highest for several years, and the Jersey dairy section had its highest entry for five years.

New sheep classes for Zwartbles feature this year and there are individual record entries in the Blue-faced Leicester and British Berrichon du Cher sections. To mark the millennium, there is a competition for the supreme champion sheep.

The show once again hosts the final of the British Pig Association pig of the year championship, with a special millennium section for boars and gilts born in 2000.

The pig industry will use the show as a platform for its Buy British campaign. The pig centre has food tastings and recipe cards courtesy of the Ladies in Pigs movement and a demonstration of how UK pig stalls compare to the cramped conditions and tethering of the non-British system.

The flower hall features displays from 44 nurseries and a programme of clinics and demonstrations by a variety of horticultural speakers.

Keeping the 6,000 animals on the showground fed, watered and bedded is likely to use a million gallons of water, 200 bales of hay, 4,200 bales of wheat straw and 1,260 bales of barley straw.

Catering for the anticipated 120,000 human visitors is almost as mammoth as task, involving 1,500lbs of strawberries, 700lbs of fresh salmon, 3,000 glasses of Pimms and 20,000 cups of tea and coffee.

Famous faces due to make an appearance over the three days include TV vet Trude Mostue, cricket umpire Dickie Bird and showjumpers David Broome, John and Michael Whitaker and Robert Smith.

Work on a new £2.25m food hall, designed to showcase farming from field to table, begins at the showground as soon as the show ends. It is due for completion in spring 2001.