The Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) is the representative body for the farm machinery industry in Ireland. The membership of the association compromises in excess of 200 businesses engaged in the manufacture, import, distribution, retail sale and servicing of farm machinery.

The mission of the association is to promote the highest standards of professionalism in the farm machinery industry and FTMTA and its membership are working to deliver a high-quality, viable and local industry to meet the evolving farm mechanisation requirements of progressive Irish farming businesses. FTMTA negotiates and consults with government, farming organisations and other bodies in the interests of the machinery sector. The association also provides training and advisory services for its members.

FTMTA can trace its origins back 105 years which, while making it one of the oldest trade groupings in Ireland, is an indication of the early recognition of the importance of agricultural mechanisation in this country.

Grass coming along well at Gurteen College.

Training

In 2007, after many years of planning, the association acquired its own purpose-built headquarters with the opening of the Farm Machinery Industry training centre near Naas. This was the culmination of many years planning and discussion and it is now serving an important role in the ongoing training of those in the industry while also providing a base for the association. FTMTA’s commitment to training within the industry is highlighted by the engagement of the association with IT Tralee on the development of a new training route for prospective service people coming into the industry. This culminated in the introduction in 2015 of the Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Mechanisation) course in IT Tralee as a higher education option. This course has been developed in cooperation by the college and industry to deliver a programme tailored to meet the requirements of the modern farm machinery industry for highly skilled service technicians who can deal with the rapidly evolving technical challenges of today’s agricultural mechanisation technology.

The first intake of students commenced the course in September of 2015 and this autumn will see the first cohort of graduates. The course is a mix of college based learning and work placement over three years with the student required to carry out a substantial body of online learning when on work placement.

Events

The holding of the first FTMTA Farm Machinery Show at the RDS in 1989 was an important development. The association took the decision to launch a dedicated farm machinery event after a number of years of internal discussion on the need for a suitable promotional forum for the trade. The first show attracted an attendance of some 9,000 people over three days and it has been held on a biennial basis ever since. The show moved to Punchestown racecourse near Naas in 2003 and has grown significantly over the years while staying true to the original ethos that it should be a dedicated farm machinery event, organised by the trade for the farmer and contractor. The 2017 show was the largest to date with the greatest amount of exhibition space, the highest number of exhibitors and some 21,000 visitors. The association is already in the early stages of preparing for the 2019 Show to be held on 7, 8 and 9 February.

The association built on the success of the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show with the introduction of FTMTA Grass & Muck, as a working demonstration event, which was first held in Gurteen College in 2010. FTMTA Grass & Muck has surpassed all expectations and visitor numbers at the first event, at 7,500, were nearly 50% greater than anticipated with approximately 11,000 visitors coming to the 2016 event. The association is pleased to now return to Gurteen College for the fifth such event. FTMTA have been fortunate with their choice of venue for FTMTA Grass & Muck with the Gurteen College farm staff consistently handing over a site in good condition and with a good crop of grass for the event over the years despite often challenging conditions, probably none more so than during this year of seemingly never ending winter. The association is keen to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of Mike Pearson, Gurteen College principal, and Ken Flynn, Gurteen College farm manager, and their team in this regard.

Irish manufacturing

Ireland has a long and proud tradition in the farm machinery sector, which has grown beyond a purely domestic business to one in which we punch well above our weight on the global market. In recent years the association has worked with Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the FTMTA machinery events provide an opportunity for our Irish manufacturers to present their products to international as well as national buyers.

The agricultural machinery manufacturing industry employs approximately 6,000 people in the Republic of Ireland and generates an annual domestic retail turnover of some €550m in addition to substantial export earnings. Given the role played by Irish manufacturers within the farm machinery supply chain, a far higher percentage of the total sales accrue to domestic firms than would be the case in most comparable engineering sectors.

By the nature of the trade they are engaged in many, indeed most, farm machinery businesses are based in rural areas where they provide a relatively significant level of good-quality employment in locations where such employment is otherwise not easily found. In a small village, the local farm machinery dealer can have the same employment impact as a large manufacturing facility in a more urban location. In the manufacturing segment, in particular, of the machinery industry, employment creation benefits from a multiplier effect with smaller sub-contractors or suppliers setting up to serve the main manufacturing business.

Industry cashflow

Over the years, cashflow weakness has at times bedevilled the industry and individual firms within it. This can be most keenly felt at times at retail dealer level where, at its mildest, poor cashflow undermines the development of the business and in more serious cases can threaten the very survival of the business. Such problems are damaging to the customers of a business as well as to the business itself. It is in the interests of FTMTA members’ customers that a viable, local farm machinery industry continues to exist to deliver the support that they require.

For a number years now FTMTA has advocated that member firms should consider implementation of the FTMTA ProDealer credit policy. The policy is designed to improve the cashflow position in the farm machinery industry in a fair and balanced fashion by tackling the long-standing issues around credit in the sector. It allows for the provision of credit but on an agreed and controlled basis that can serve both parties’ interests.

In a further move to address cashflow within the industry, the Association introduced the concept of the FTMTA Farm Machinery Trade Auction during 2017. The purpose of FTMTA introducing this new member service was to provide an additional sales channel for member’s surplus stock and to allow members to return some revenue from such stock. It is intended to hold another such auction later in the year.

FTMTA management

The Association has been led down the years by active and voluntary executive councils from, and by, which the FTMTA President is elected. The executive council is currently composed as follows:

President: Graham McHugh - McHugh Components Ltd.

Vice-President: James Butler - Templetuohy Farm Machinery Ltd.

Immediate Past President: Donal Fitzpatrick - J.H. Fitzpatrick Ltd.

Council Members

Maurice Kelly - Kellys of Borris Ltd.

Michael Devane - D & S Machinery Ltd.

Conor Breen - Breen’s Farm Machinery Ltd.

Garry Daly - Farmec (Ireland) Ltd.

Norman Nicholl - NC Engineering Ltd.

Simon Cross - Cross Agricultural Eng. Ltd

Maurice Nunan - Nunan Farm Machinery Ltd

Rosarie Crowley - Cork Farm Machinery Ltd.

Robert Hill - John Deere Ltd.

Paddy Cantwell - AGCO.

Joseph O’Reilly - Industrial & Farm Machinery Ltd.

Stephen Scrivener - Farmhand Ltd.

Diarmuid Claridge - Poettinger Ireland Ltd.

Colin Bell - Same Deutz Fahr UK Ltd.

Honorary Counsellor: Ronnie Colton

There has been a significant focus by the Executive Council on attracting new blood to the table in recent years and, of the seventeen members at present on Council, twelve have come on board since the current FTMTA Chief Executive, Gary Ryan, started work with the Association in late 2008.

The day to day affairs of the FTMTA are managed by, Chief Executive, Gary Ryan who is ably assisted by, Administration and Events Assistant, Angelika Olewinska and, Member Relationship Executive, Conor McGuiness.

Membership drive

FTMTA is committed to developing and delivering an enhanced service to its members in the farm machinery sector to facilitate those member firms who, in turn, deliver the high level of service required by its farming customers. To that end, the association is actively engaged in a membership drive which has seen the addition of a significant number of new members to the ranks of the FTMTA in the last 12 months. The executive council of the association believes that growing the membership of FTMTA through the ongoing recruitment of additional members greatly strengthens the association in promoting and supporting a professional and viable farm machinery industry to the advantage of the trade and its customers.