FTMTA AGM

In his address to the recent annual general meeting of the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association, the FTMTA President, Mr, Donal Fitzpatrick of, Monasterevin dealership, J. H. Fitzpatrick Ltd. stated that while “sales of new tractors are far from the whole picture, the tractor registration statistics show a market holding its own to some extent in the face of challenging commodity prices”.

In dealing with the affairs of the Association , the FTMTA President stated that “FTMTA Grass & Muck held in Gurteen College in May was a highly successful event with a very positive reaction from exhibitors and visitors.  Clearly FTMTA Grass & Muck has developed into a very significant farm machinery event in Ireland and it is our intention to continue to develop both this and the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show. We are pleased to announce that Gurteen College have confirmed the continuing availability of the site for the 2018 event. Our next public event will be the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show in Punchestown on February 9th ,10th and 11th and the early interest is very encouraging. We expect the flagship event of the Irish farm machinery industry to continue to grow in 2017”.

Addressing BREXIT, Mr. Fitzpatrick said that while “the issue has occupied many column inches in the last couple of months, to a large extent all the speculation, for that is what most of it is, serves no purpose. Assuming BREXIT goes through, nobody can yet say what shape the EU’s relationship with the UK will take. Therefore I believe,  that it is too early to say what the impact of the UK exiting the EU will be for the Irish machinery sector, or indeed any other sector, in the long term. Much will depend on what sort of subsequent relationship is negotiated between the UK and EU.

Irish  manufacturers have a worldwide reputation for high quality and innovative agricultural mechanisation solutions, mainly based on Irish livestock and dairy farming’s strengths in grass based production. A significant element of Irish machinery production  goes to markets  much further afield than in the past with substantial markets in continental Europe and also as distant as the southern hemisphere.

FTMTA also includes some Northern Ireland based manufacturers in its membership and wants to see those firms continue to have competitive access to the market in the Republic and wider EU.The FTMTA President stressed that, while anecdotally a weaker sterling has the potential to drive imports of used machinery from the UK, in reality customers are in most cases happier to have the security of buying through their local dealer rather than from a UK dealer or auction house who will not offer them the support and service they may require.

Be a part of a stronger farm machinery industry – join the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association – contact FTMTA at 045 409309 or membership@ftmta.ie for details.