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The FTMTA Farm Machinery Show started in 1989 in the RDS, having replaced the farm machinery element of the famed Spring Show. There was a sentiment within the industry at the time that a professional event was needed for the Irish farm machinery sector to showcase its products and services to the farming public.
The industry representative body FTMTA developed the concept of a dedicated indoor farm machinery show to fill this role. The show outgrew the venue over time, and needed a new location outside of Dublin. Punchestown Racecourse had developed a state-of-the-art purpose-built event centre facility in the early 2000s and this venue became home to the show in 2003, since which time the show has expanded considerably.
The racecourse management and the FTMTA have worked closely over the years to add to the facilities and services available to the show exhibitors and visitors alike, allowing the show to cement its position as the flagship event in the Irish farm machinery calendar.
From the beginning, the show has been promoted and managed as organised by the trade for the farmer and contractor. This focus as a dedicated machinery event has been maintained at all times, and is key to the popularity and development of the show. The same focus resulted in the next logical step for the association in terms of public events.
The introduction of a live demonstration event at FTMTA Grass & Muck at Gurteen College in 2010 filled the growing demand for such a forum from the Irish farming public and Irish machinery suppliers. Grass is our biggest crop and the mainstay of the Irish livestock industry, as well as being the area in which many Irish manufacturers are world leaders with a fantastic reputation.
It was fitting that the Irish machinery industry could have a platform to highlight its design talent.
The mission of the FTMTA is to promote the highest standards of professionalism in the farm machinery industry. The role of the association is all about supporting a viable and sustainable farm machinery industry that can partner with Irish and international farming customers into the future. That goal is delivered to a large extent by professional events promoting a professional industry to a professional audience.
Last year’s Grass & Muck was attended by a record crowd of over 11,000 people, who saw the launch of number of Irish and international innovations in grass management technology. It also been confirmed that Grass & Muck will harvest again at Gurteen College for the fifth time during May 2018, with strong interest from existing and new exhibitors already in for the event.
The FTMTA Farm Machinery Show this year has reached its highest number of exhibitors and stands. A new pavilion has been added to cater for the ongoing demand from exhibitors. The FTMTA has had a waiting list for a number of years that it was not able to accommodate within the confines of the existing facilities at the venue. Following substantial investment by the association, an extra 2,000m² of indoor heated exhibition space has been added.
Four pavilions
The show now comprises 14,000m² with four machinery display pavilions, featuring 171 exhibitors with 215 indoor stands and outdoor areas. The show is the largest dedicated indoor farm machinery event in Ireland, north and south. The show is also the largest indoor agricultural event of any kind in Ireland.
For the first time in 2013, the exhibitors’ feedback highlighted that Ireland now has a machinery show to rival the standard set by much larger events in Europe. The FTMTA show has the quality facilities that come from using a dedicated permanent exhibition centre. The comfort and convenience that this allows visitors and exhibitors cannot be overstated and adds immeasurably to the show experience for all involved. This is borne out by the fact that the leading manufacturers and importers return to the show year after year. This reputation comes on solid foundations delivered by the organisation and management of the FTMTA.
A growing area at the show is the Motor Arena @ FTMTA Farm Machinery Show. In 2015, the scope of the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show was widened slightly, to include a provision for certain relevant segments of the motor trade, specifically the light commercial and commercial 4x4 categories, for which the farming user is a significant market. This concept will be further developed at the upcoming show .
The Motor Arena @ FTMTA Farm Machinery Show will be located adjacent to the racecourse parade ring and is the route by which all visitors to the show access and depart the event. Mitsubishi, Fiat, Toyota, Crossings Motors Centre and Volkswagen dealer Sheehy Motor Group are confirmed as exhibitors in the motor arena, which will add another dimension for show visitors.
In an endorsement of the stature of the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show, it has been announced that Enterprise Ireland will bring a delegation of overseas machinery buyers and distributors. FTMTA was pleased to welcome a similar group to the 2015 show and the association is happy to be in a position to facilitate this type of visit which assists the export marketing efforts of its Irish manufacturers and exhibitors.
The Irish farm machinery manufacturing sector is a key supplier of mechanisation technology to modern Irish farming and, building on the strengths developed in the home market, is also bringing innovative and high-quality farm machinery solutions to customers worldwide.
FTMTA is this year paying particular attention to knowledge transfer for visitors to the show in the area of smart farming. There is an new area in the ground floor of the racecourse grandstand dedicated to the “Farming of Tomorrow” concept to highlight developments in precision agriculture and smart farming.
This area will feature a mix of presentations, information on costs and benefits of precision agriculture technology in different types of farming enterprises and displays from cutting-edge Irish suppliers such as Dairymaster and Sixty-5 Technologies, among others.
On Friday 10 February, the Farming of Tomorrow area will feature a presentation and demonstration in relation to the agricultural applications of drone technology by Ian Kiely of Drone Consultants Ireland.
With the fast-changing landscape in Irish agriculture, the ever-burning question of “how to do more with less” is constantly brought to the forefront of farmers’ thinking. Tightening margins coupled with rising input costs drive a requirement for increased focus on the detail of all aspects of individual farming enterprises.
Precision technology
Perhaps previously more associated with tillage, precision applications and techniques are now very much applicable to all farming businesses, from dairying (including milking, milk storage and heat detection, contracting, spreading fertiliser, manure and slurry) right back through to the tillage sector. The Farming of Tomorrow area is located along the route to Pavilion 1 and is sure to be of interest to those interested in the future of farming and their own future as farmers.
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