Speaking to AgriLand, the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association’s (FTMTA’s) Gary Ryan said that final tallies indicate that around 20,500 people visited last week’s Farm Machinery Show in Punchestown.
While that number appears to be “slightly down on the figure for the previous show in 2017”, Gary says that the event was a success – especially given the fact that “strong winds” on Friday (February 8) morning could have put proceedings in jeopardy.
He added: “Feedback from the show has been very good – possibly the best I can remember. There are genuine reports of business having been done at a good level.
“I am certainly aware of quite a number of tractors, as well as baling and slurry equipment, that were sold from scratch at the event. The mood, both among exhibitors and visitors, was upbeat – perhaps surprisingly so.
“The changed layout of the event, along with the increased size and standard of presentation of many stands, seemed to get a very positive response.”
The association is now busy taking the exhibition down; 90% of the equipment has been trucked off-site. Pavilion 4 (the larger marquee) is “already a skeleton”; Gary says that it will be lying on its back by the close of play today.
The same will happen to Pavilion 2 by the weekend.
During last week’s show, the FTMTA Gold Award was presented to Martin and Padraic McHale by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed.
L-R: Gary Ryan (chief executive; FTMTA); Padraic McHale; Martin McHale; Michael Creed (Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine); and Jimmy Butler (president; FTMTA)
The award recognises “excellence within the farm machinery industry”. Gary explained: “It was presented to honour their incredible success with McHale. Congratulations to Martin and Padraic; it’s well deserved.”