The FTMTA show at Punchestown got off to a fine start, with a frosty morning giving way to a sunny day as a good crowd of visitors arrived to view the machinery on offer.
They were not to be disappointed, for the show was a sell out for the FTMTA, with all the stands being booked well before the cut off date and this enthusiasm from the trade was reflected in the large number of different machines being displayed.
Most new machines that were to be launched this year have already been revealed, but there were still a few items of news that companies had saved for the day.
New partnerships at the FTMTA show
Egmont Agri of Co. Cork was one importer with a new range to announce and, like its present major brand Samasz, this too hails from Poland.
Unia SP is the new company that Egmont is now representing in Ireland and its products compliment that of the grassland focused Samasz, being mainly tillage and spreading orientated.
Another development announced on the first day is that that IAM Agricultural Machinery of Kilkenny is now the official partner for Topcon here in Ireland.
The Japanese technology company has, up to now, been representing itself but it was decided that joining forces with a well established player in Ireland was the best way forward, and so IAM has stepped up and will be taking on the distribution of Topcon products in the north and south of the country.
Tractors at FTMTA
Although there were no new models on the Valtra stand, the company had brought along a neatly dressed T235, which had undergone a full works treatment at the Valtra unlimited workshop adjacent to the Suolahti factory.
This version was equipped with the full forestry kit including reverse drive and hi-vis cab plus under-body protection, making an already impressive tractor look more impressive still.
Next door, Fendt had its reverse drive system fitted to a 936 Vario which is also the sort of spec that also appeals to the forestry sector for pairing with a wood chipper, power hungry machines that will happily use whatever is on tap.
Fendt claims to have somewhere between 30 – 40% of the high horse power market in the UK and would like to see that matched in Ireland.
Deutz Fahr may not have the range of colours that are available to Valtra customers, but there a choice of greens. On its stand, it had a 6230 Warrior in Java green along with the name picked out in gold.
With farmers becoming ever more conscious of a tractor’s appearance, this makes for an attractive option.
Grassland improvement
Top Chem was showing its Ryetec subsoiler at an FTMTA show for the first time. It has already sold a number of machines, but there is now a new enthusiasm for promoting the machines throughout Ireland.
Designed for grassland, it can penetrate up to a metre deep, but is normally set to run at around 15cm.
The legs both swivel and break back, allowing them to work around buried stones and reduce the chance of them being dragged to the surface. It is available in both grassland and tillage versions.
These are just a few highlights from the show this year, a show which is proving popular at this time of year and one where there is a notable air of optimism after a very flat year for the trade, the trade is hoping that it will last into the new year.