Jimmy Butler has resigned from his position as president of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA). He served in the role since January 2019.

The announcement was made (in a statement) to the association’s membership yesterday (Friday, April 10). In the statement, the association thanked Jimmy Butler – who has also served for a considerable period as a council member – for his work.

Statement

The statement went on to say: “Following the resignation of Jimmy Butler as president of the association, it will be necessary for the FTMTA Executive Council to elect a new president from among its number, as provided for in the Articles of Association.

“In the event of a vacancy occurring in any of the officerships, the Executive Council shall – as soon as practicable and not later than the second meeting of the Executive Council following the vacancy – appoint one of its number to fill the office.”

However, the FTMTA says that – in reality – the Executive Council of the association is unlikely to be in a position to hold a meeting before June or even July – due to current social distancing restrictions (accruing from the Covid-19 pandemic).

This means that the election of a new president “cannot happen as soon as might otherwise be desirable”.

Ongoing plans

The statement added: “In the meantime, please rest assured that [the FTMTA] will be in ongoing contact…with members of the management sub-committee of the Executive Council [vice-president Diarmuid Claridge; immediate past president Graham McHugh; Rosarie Crowley; and Karol Duigenan] and also with other council members.”

Towards its conclusion, the statement noted that “the management of the affairs of the association continues as normal, in what is obviously a very challenging wider environment”.