The passing of 2023 will be celebrated not for any great new invention or development but, instead, it marked the full return of shows and open days at which manufacturers could once again meet the customers in person.
There was much talk during the Covid event of big shows being a thing of the past, as companies took to online presentations, relying on the internet rather, than a handshake to do business, but thankfully – such sentiments are heard no more.
However, that does not mean that there has been a full return to the old way of doing things – some companies have decided to opt out of national and international events and are devoting their marketing budgets to local demo days and supporting their dealer networks in other ways.
This year, saw a lot of activity in various fields, with dealers taking the products to the customers where they can get a feel for machines working.
Templetouhy Farm Machinery kicked the year off with a field day in Wexford, the focus of which was John Deere’s digital technology.
The company is making great efforts to set the pace in this area and the products being demonstrated gave the impression that they were part of a general scheme, rather than a collection of bolted together apps.
The message, however, is taking its time to be accommodated here in Ireland, but there is no doubt that the potential to significantly increase efficiency is there.
Kilkenny defies the damp
One notable open day was held in August by Kilkenny Agri Machinery. Its main brands are Valtra and McHale and both companies had pulled out the stops to support the dealership.
What made it stand out was that, as far as anyone knew, it was the first time that McHale had publicly demonstrated the whole process of silageing, from cutting to loading the bales, using its now complete range of grassland equipment.
Sticking with green machines and inclement weather Deutz were also active this year. The brand is by no means lacking in modernity or development but it hasn’t the presence in Ireland that it perhaps deserves.
Two open days in the autumn went a long way to putting that right, with the second one, in Co. Meath, being hosted by Quaile Machinery, which carries Pottinger as its major implement brand.
The weather ensured that the ground conditions were less than ideal but the machines were all working well, and the accuracy of the Deutz’s satellite navigation system was impressive, stopping the tractor right next to a 10c coin planted in the middle of the field.
Further afield
Over in Germany, conditions were a good deal better for an event held by Kverneland at the Haus Dusse Agricultural College in the north of the country. Germany had, and has since, suffered higher than average rainfall, but the soil was dry enough for a demonstration of the company’s latest equipment.
Kuhn took things a little more local with a demo day in Co. Laois at which its range of cultivation equipment, also enjoyed a break from the soggy summer.
Although the plough was present and working the company highlighted its min-til options, showing what was possible without total soil inversion.
It was not all about fieldwork, back in the yard the subject of slurry separation is becoming a hot topic with the management of nitrates being one of the two main drivers, the other being that it can increase liquid storage by around 30%.
Vogelsang have an X Split demo unit doing the rounds in Ireland and the UK, and this was brought along to the beef finishing unit of the company’s sales manager, David Wheelan.
The main attraction was to actually see one working in a real situation, rather than on social media, and David reports that there was a good deal of genuine interest shown on the day.
Altogether it was a busy year, especially in the build up to Agritechnica, the trade is not complaining – the opportunity to get out and meet customers again and this return to normality has come as a huge relief.