As president of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association, it is a great pleasure to welcome exhibitors and visitors to the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show in association with FBD Insurance at Punchestown from 17 to 19 November.
Whether you are a farmer, agricultural contractor, machinery dealer, manufacturer or someone considering a career in our industry, I hope you find your visit both enjoyable and worthwhile. We have built from an incredibly successful show in 2024 and we are bringing you a show which is bigger than ever. As this is Ireland’s biggest dedicated Farm Machinery Show, it gives us the opportunity to showcase the newest and best machinery and technology that our industry has to offer.
Firstly, I would like to thank our exhibitors for their support. Preparing for a show of this scale takes considerable time, investment and commitment. Behind every stand are people who believe in this industry and who work throughout the year to support their customers. I would also like to thank the FTMTA team (Michael, Claire and Sarah), our executive council, and everyone involved in bringing the show together.
A challenging year
Looking back over the past 12 months, I think it would be fair to say that our industry has once again demonstrated its resilience.
The fuel crisis at the start of the year was a stark reminder of just how quickly international events can have very real consequences for businesses here in Ireland.
Within a matter of weeks, we saw the price of green diesel rise dramatically. For farmers and agricultural contractors, coming into one of the busiest periods of the farming year, it created enormous uncertainty.
The fuel crisis did not just affect the farmers – our own members were dealing with rapidly increasing transport and delivery costs. Service vehicles have to be kept on the road. Machinery has to be collected and delivered. Parts have to move around the country and, ultimately, almost every element of our business is affected by the cost of energy and transport. With no end in sight for high fuel prices, this is an on-going concern for all businesses. While some supports have been given by Government, I feel more could be done to help tackle the escalating prices.
We were also affected by the drought during the summer. Due to the lack of rainfall and therefore growth, this caused farmers to start using winter feed early. This caused the grass season to continue into September and October – much later than usual. The yield from crops was also a concern with spring barley yield being down by approximately 17% on 2025. This stress can have a knock-on effect on farming capital and future investment. Due to changes in our climate, farmers need to be prepared for severe weather patterns going forward, be it dry spells in the summer or severe storms in the winter.
Despite these challenges however, 2026 has seen an increase in tractor and loader sales, with a 6% rise in sales over 2025. It has also been a strong year of other machinery sales, with the majority of dealers reporting increased volume over 2025. The cost price of machinery remains a challenge with increased costs from manufacturers continuing to push prices up.
The best of the industry
At the show, we aim to showcase the best that our industry has. With nearly all major international and national manufacturers exhibiting, it is an excellent opportunity to see everything under one roof. With the show being entirely indoors, it makes it easy to take time to assess what machinery is on offer or chat to the many representatives on the stands. This year we are also offering a shuttle bus which will go from Sallins Train Station – Naas – Punchestown. This will run every hour for the duration of the show. There is also ample free parking available on site.
This year we are also featuring a new Education Hub. This will have exhibitors from various colleges and education institutes. It will be an opportunity for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the farm machinery industry (be it through agri-apprenticeships or engineering courses, for example) to talk to the colleges and see what is on offer. We are excited to have this at the show for the first time to really promote younger people into the industry. The agricultural machinery industry is a huge employer in rural Ireland, supporting 25,000 jobs. We want to showcase what a great industry this can be and continue to support growth and prosperity in rural Ireland.
Finally, I wish all our exhibitors a successful three days and all our visitors an enjoyable and informative show. I look forward to meeting many of you at Punchestown.
