The very popular FTMTA Grass & Muck event will return to the popular Gurteen College site near Birr, Co Offaly, on Thursday 17 May 2018.

FTMTA chief executive Gary Ryan stated that the association is delighted to once again make use of the excellent facilities and central location of Gurteen College, which has proven to be a such successful site for this event since it was first held in 2010.

From the first such occasion, which drew an attendance of 7,500, through to last year’s event, which attracted nearly 11,000 visitors , FTMTA Grass & Muck has developed to become a regular biennial showcase run by the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association on alternate years to the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show at Punchestown.

Ethos

Both FTMTA-organised public machinery events are run in accordance with the ethos of “organised by the trade for the farmer and contractor”.

FTMTA Grass & Muck was put in place by the association from the outset as Ireland’s national grassland technology event and has proven very popular with the trade’s farming and contracting customers, as well as with exhibitors.

FTMTA Grass & Muck has progressed on each occasion that it is held and is now a flagship event for the Irish farm machinery industry

Grassland management is the largest user by far of agricultural mechanisation in Ireland, with silage-making and slurry-spreading remaining as the two most heavily mechanised activities in Irish farming.

FTMTA Grass & Muck provides the farm machinery buyer with a unique opportunity to view the very latest developments in the various grass machinery technologies in a working setting.

The proven and very popular format of ongoing demonstrations throughout the day in the grass, reseeding, silage pit, slurry spreading and farm yard manure spreading areas will be continued in 2018, as well as a large area of trade stands in the trade village.

Increased area

The FTMTA is pleased to announce that it will be possible to provide another 15 acres of grass working plots at next year’s event, bringing the total grass demo area to nearly 100 acres.

It will also be possible to increase the size of the trade village area significantly.

It is intended that exhibitors will showcase a wide range of products from many brands of tractors, farm machinery and accessories to animal care products, seeds and agro chemicals.

In keeping with the FTMTA ethos for both Grass & Muck and the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show, only stands from genuinely agriculture-focused businesses will be accepted.

Full details will be issued to prospective exhibitors in mid-autumn. Any firm which is interested in exhibiting for the first time at the event can register their interest in advance by contacting the FTMTA office on 045-409309 or at admin@ftmta.ie .