The Ploughing Championships provide a great, enjoyable day out for everyone as well as an opportunity to do business.

This year will see an array of new and exciting exhibitors as well as hundreds of annual exhibitors showcasing their products and services to the public.

With the number of visitors predicted to attend this year’s event expected to exceed last year’s numbers, what better place to be with your business between 24 and 26 September than the National Ploughing Championships.

Here, we profile some areas that will be worth a visit as you ‘plough’ your way through the huge event.

Ploughing platform for the IFA

The IFA stand at next week’s Ploughing will be a platform for the association’s key issues going into the autumn, according to IFA president John Bryan. “With the early budget in October, there is a strong focus on the importance of government investment that will support farmers in providing a sustainable stimulus for the Irish economy, which will drive export growth and job creation,” he said.

“Budget 2014 and the national implementation of the CAP are very much connected. Our key message to Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney and the government is that we must have 50:50 co-financing, with national top-ups, to deliver a strong rural development programme from 2014 to 2020.”

John Bryan said he would also be emphasising the impact of previous cuts to farm schemes, and the disproportionate hits on farm incomes from previous budgets.

“The impact on farm incomes from successive budget cuts, and cuts to farm schemes in particular, is hitting hard and undermining the viability of thousands of low income family farms. Cuts to farm schemes impact directly on farm income and have a negative knock-on effect on production decisions on-farm.”

Total funding for the agriculture budget has been reduced by a greater percentage than across any other major government departments.

Since 2008, total funding for agriculture has been cut by 41.2%, compared with an average reduction across all government departments of 12.6%.

The facts are that the proportionate spend on the agriculture since 2004 has fallen by 25%, from 3.04% in 2004 of the total national budget to 2.26% in 2013.

Class Grass with no maintenance

Tired of taking care of grass growing out of control or simply not growing at all? Class Grass, based in Castlecoote, Co Roscommon, and at Stand 616 Row D1 at the Ploughing Championships, can supply and install artificial grass for gardens, graves, crèches, schools, golf putting greens, goalmouths, play areas and display areas.

Grass supply comes in green, white, purple, red, yellow and blue.

For a safe, handy grass environment requiring little maintenance, Class Grass is your one stop shop and at this year’s Ploughing, staff will be on hand to give quotations and explain the artificial grass system to suit your needs best.

Kingswood Computing’s new smartphone app

Kingswood computing will have stand 162, Row L, Block 3. Here they will be exhibiting and demonstrating farm software for smartphones, Tablets, PCs and laptops.

As all farmers know, quality assurance is a major issue affecting Irish beef and dairy farmers. Bord Bia estimate they have carried out over 30,000 inspections in the last 18 months on beef farms and another 18,000 dairy farms will shortly be coming under their remit. Recent events such as the horsemeat scandal and the Fonterra problems in the Chinese market prove the wisdom of running with a strict quality regime.

The biggest single reason why farmers fail inspections is lack of records, particularly in the animal remedies area. In an effort to help their customers meet these recording challenges, Kingswood Computing has introduced new facilities to their Kingswood Herd software.

A new smartphone app which allows farmers to record vet treatment details on the spot is now available. These are then posted back to the Kingswood Herd on the farmer’s PC. A system where farmers can receive an email containing purchase details from their vet is now also provided by Kingswood, saving farmers hours of tedious work.

Kingswood now have a Bord Bia button displayed on its main herd screen allowing all necessary information to be readily available upon an inspection, including the veterinary register, bovine register and feed purchase listings. All of these efficient time saving systems, as well as many more, will be demonstrated by the enthusiastic Kingswood staff at this year’s Ploughing.

The EU at the Ploughing

2013 marks 40 years of Irish membership of the EU and it is also the European Year of the Citizen.

The European Union stand this year will be all about you, what rights you have as an EU citizen and how to use them.

Of course, there will be a focus on agriculture in the EU with an emphasis on Ireland and on the new reformed CAP.

Visit the EU stand and discover the rights that this EU citizenship gives you. These include the right to move and reside freely in any member state, or the right to vote in local or European elections wherever you reside in the EU.

At the Ploughing visit the EU Stand 298 Row S and see how Ireland has grown and evolved within the EU since we joined in 1973. You can pick up a wide range of publications on current EU agricultural topics.

You will also have the opportunity to learn all there is to know about CAP and how it affects you. A CAP ‘agri ambassador’ will be on hand to speak to the public over the three days. There will also be plenty of prizes to be won with games, quizzes and storytelling on the stand.

Grassland Agro to launch new slurry enhancer

Grassland Agro has been created as a result of the merger of Grassland Fertilizers and the French agrifood multinational Groupe Roullier’s Timac Agro business in Ireland. With over 100 staff, Grassland Agro’s prime objective is to provide Irish farmers with solutions to enable them to become more efficient in the post quota era and in globalisation trends in food production. They are well worth a call on Stand 262 Row Q.

At this year’s Ploughing Championships, Grassland Agro will be launching their new product that will be relevant to all dairy and beef farmers, enhancing their farm slurry.

They claim that this product can release extra nutrients from all slurries as well as reduce harmful emissions.

New products from JFC

JFC will be launching several new products at the Ploughing with the new TidyWrap Recycling Bin as one of the main attractions.

Designed to make bale wrap collection easier and more efficient, it encourages recycling while reducing environmental contamination and keeps the farm tidy where it can hold the discharged plastic from up to 200 bale wraps.

With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing water troughs, JFC will exhibit two new additions to their premier Fast-Fill range this year. The water troughs, 135 litres and 400 litres in capacity, are capable of delivering 200 litres per minute at 5 bar pressure.

fencing

As fencing plays an important role on any farm, JFC have robust and durable fencing posts with a life expectancy in excess of 30 years.

The JFC 2G Fencing demonstration area at Block 2 beside the E4 entrance.