Just over 550 contractors travelled from throughout Ireland to the biennial conference and exhibition (Confex) near Dublin Airport.

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) event featured a series of information presentations along with a display of machinery from the event’s exhibitors.

Michael Hennessy, head of crops knowledge transfer at Teagasc, provided an insight into where he feels contracting will be headed in the next 10 years. He believes the tillage sector will have more specialised growers and contractors will need to have more land management knowledge and be able to provide advice to customers. Increased use of technology between farmer and contractor is needed in the future, according to Hennessy.

Current mood

There is a lack of confidence in the sector at the moment, which was evident among contractors and the trade at the event.

However, it was good year for the trade considering the uncertainties faced coming into the first quarter of 2019. The year to date has seen new tractor registrations almost on par with 2018, with 1,913 new units registered up until the end of October. It is likely that the year’s total will come close to the 2,000 mark, a number that hasn’t been broken since 2008. It has also been an exceptional year for new forage harvester registrations, with record number numbers achieved.

Looking forward to 2020, there seemed to be a common sense of reservation among farmers and contractors at Confex. A lot of people are waiting to see how ongoing challenges such as beef prices and Brexit fare out before investing in equipment. Potato farmers who had a tough harvest, especially the few with potatoes still in the ground, are holding back for the time being anyway.

The lack of winter planting done throughout the country could lead to a busy spring and perhaps a certain amount of buying will be left until the last minute. It seems likely that the tractor and loader markets will remain steady, with fewer forage harvester registrations for 2020, which would only be natural given the record numbers this year.