Heavy rain on day two did little to dampen spirits at the Bank of Ireland stand at this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore.

The stand was packed throughout; attendees flocked to hear an expert panel debate the prospects for the dairy and beef industries with Brexit drawing ever closer and to meet with bank representatives.

Sean Farrell, Head of Agriculture, Bank of Ireland, described the National Ploughing Championships as a unique opportunity to connect with customers.

“We’re here to support the sector,” he said.

Speaking of customers, he commented that the event provides the bank with “the opportunity to learn about your business and build a key relationship with you that will sustain itself into the future”.

Kevin Kennedy of Anu Dairy, a certified organic food company, also shared his experiences of showcasing his business at the Bank of Ireland stand over the three days.

“Having a stand here at the ‘Ploughing’ this year is one of the best things we’ve ever done, apart from making product,” he confirmed.

Anu Dairy uses grazing management and soil microbiome analysis to discover the best option for farmers, consumers, animal welfare and environmental impact.

Another small business invited to exhibit on the Bank of Ireland stand was agri-digital, technology company Farmhedge.

Dr. John Garvey, Farmhedge CEO, also shared his experiences of the ‘Ploughing’.

We thought we’d reach out and meet a few farmers, but people are really interested in what we’re doing and the Bank of Ireland stand was amazing the way it was set up.

The third small business at the Bank of Ireland stand, Leading Edge, was given a platform to explain how adopting ‘Lean’ techniques can increase efficiency on farms.

“In Ireland, dairy processing groups have benefited from Lean transformation over the last 10 years. The time is now set for dairy farmers to benefit just like their counterparts in New Zealand through the Dairy NZ FarmTune programme,” said Joe Aherne, CEO, Leading Edge.