FTMTA show bookings

FTMTA chief executive Gary Ryan advises that all firms interested in exhibiting at next year’s FTMTA Farm Machinery Show should have their exhibitor application submitted no later than the closing date of 28 October. Due to the unprecedented demand for exhibition space at the show, it may be difficult to accommodate bookings received after the closing date.

Ryan attributes the record levels of interest in the show from potential exhibitors to the focus by the FTMTA on delivering events featuring genuinely agricultural related exhibits only. The association’s research shows that visitors to the show and to FTMTA Grass & Muck are overwhelmingly active farmers and agricultural contractors researching specific purchases decisions.

A soft copy of the exhibitor pack for non-member firms of the association is available from www.ftmta.ie. FTMTA members can obtain a copy of the member pack from the association’s offices at admin@ftmta.ie or on 045-409309.

Pitfalls of privately imported machines

There has been somewhat of an increase in the levels of imports of used machines from the UK in recent months due to the weakness of sterling following Brexit.

Many of those machines are bought by end users through Irish farm machinery businesses and the association urges customers looking at imports to opt to source the machine they require through the local dealer channel rather than importing it directly themselves.

There are many farm machinery businesses, including FTMTA member firms, for which the trade in used imports is a significant aspect of their overall business and such firms are far better placed to source good value, reliable machines for their customers than most private buyers. Buying any machine, including a used import, from a reputable, well established, local farm machinery dealer offers far more security and peace of mind to the customer than a private deal, particularly given the technical complexity of many machines.