September brings an end to the summer season - not that we had a summer. To give an idea of how bad the summer was, the wheat that is growing in the field behind where I live is still waiting to be harvested. I don’t ever remember seeing the harvest go into the month of September. If and when the harvest does come, farmers and contractors will be relying on dealers to supply spare parts and deal with breakdowns. It’s important that dealers are well stocked with the necessary parts to cater for the customer demands. It will be a race against time for them as they will have a narrow window to get the harvest into the stores.
When the rush of harvest is over, the following few months will see some big events to look forward to. The first is the National Ploughing Championships, which takes place in Ratheniska, County Laois from 17th - 19th September. This is Ireland’s largest agricultural event and takes up over 700 acres of land, 100 of which is allocated to cater for the 1700 trade stands and exhibition space. The history of the National Ploughing Championships dates back to 1931. It came about with a difference of opinion between two friends from County Wexford and County Kildare. They argued that their respective counties had the best ploughmen. This resulted in a challenge which took place in February 1931 in a field in Athy. Ninety three years later it has become one of Europe’s largest agricultural events, attracting an average of 300,000 visitors over the three day period.
In November the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) will hold its annual Farm Machinery Show at the Punchestown Event Centre in Naas, County Kildare. Previously held in February, it will now take place from the 12th - 14th November. According to FTMTA Executive Director Michael Farrelly, the 35th edition of the show has moved to its new winter date in reaction to industry demands.
This show is a valuable service for the farm machinery industry that ensures only exhibitors with a genuine agricultural focus are present.
Last, but by no means least, the Service Dealer Conference and Awards takes place on Thursday the 28th of November at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Driving Success’ and the keynote speaker is Ellis Watson. Ellis’s previous roles include marketing director at The Sun, CEO of Celador International, and MD of Mirror Group Newspapers. This conference is a great way to wrap up the year where you can listen to many speakers on a wide range of topics. You can also get involved in the various break-out sessions. It would be great to see more Irish dealers attend this event.
The post conference dinner takes place later that evening with plenty of entertainment. During this time the Service Dealer Awards will be announced. There will be many award winning categories culminating with the much sought after Overall Dealer of the Year Award.
The Service Dealer Conference and Awards is always a popular event. More details will follow in the coming weeks so be sure to save the date in your diary.
