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Now in its 53rd year in business, Vincent Tractors & Plant, a family owned machinery dealer with branches in Fraddon, Holsworthy and Smithaleigh, near Ivybridge, is the only full line dealership in the country to achieve this status.
The awards, which are assessed and presented every two years by Kubota, are based on dealer equipment, facilities, commitment to training and, most importantly, customer service.
The Kubota customer satisfaction survey is submitted to customers after every product sold and is used to rate the service department of every Kubota dealer.
“This fantastic achievement reflects our team’s hard work and ‘customer first’ commitment“, remarked Paul Vincent, Vincent Tractors & Plant managing director.
“I would like to thank all the team at Vincent Tractors & Plant for their diligence and dedication. The industry is going through tremendous change and we are working hard to innovate to ensure we can meet and exceed our customers’ requirements and expectations.
“Not all the team are able to be here today to receive this award but I’m happy to do it on their behalf. It’s been a real team effort across all three depots to achieve this level of service!”
Rob Wilkins, Kubota’s regional service manager, remarked, “I have been working with Vincent’s for a number of years now and in last five years they have raised the bar with regards to the level of service they offer to their customer as well as their commitment to their own team. We have had our challenges but we have worked together to resolve them.”
Full line Kubota dealerships supply and service agricultural tractors and implements and Kverneland implements, compact tractors and ride on mowers as well as the construction range of excavators, loaders and tracked dumpers.
LEMKEN UK are please to announce the appointment of a new dealer in North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire Peacock and Binnington.
The appointment was announced on Monday 6th January 2020, Peacock and Binnington will join the existing LEMKEN dealer network and sell the entire LEMKEN range of cultivation, seeding and crop care machinery from their 5 depots.
The picture taken at the companies HQ at Brigg from left to right
Richard Cross ( P&B Director and Halsham Branch Sales Manager), Craig Brown (LEMKEN UK Area Sales Manager for North UK), Paul Creasy (General Manager LEMKEN UK), Graham Main (P&B Managing Director) and Richard Dixon (LEMKEN UK Area Support Manager and UK Regional Service Manager).
JC Machinery has been awarded the Ivel Award and Silver in the Arable Innovation category at LAMMA 2020 for the Vredo Crop Drill System (CDS).
The innovation was presented with both awards because the CDS demonstrated a clear ability to be used in a wide rotation of grasses and cereal crops, extending the machine’s use, reducing establishment fuel costs and promoting soil health.
A new umbilical pump trailer offers contractors and farmers the potential to save time and money by only requiring one tractor and one operator.
Designed and manufactured by Tramspread, the Suffolk based slurry specialists, the pump trailer is used by its contracting division to reduce manpower and cover the highest acreage using just one tractor. Laurence Baker from Tramspread explains: “We used this trailer to spread 300,000 cubic metres of slurry and digestate in 2019. It has proven easy to use and reliable, so we have started producing trailers to order. Technology offers time and money- saving options to farmers and we believe that this trailer will be a valuable tool to contractors like us in the future.”
A leading tyre specialist in Cornwall has become the latest UK distributor of Goodyear Farm Tires.
Geoffrey Harris Tyres, a family run company based in Liskeard which was established more than 50 years ago, will be supplying its agricultural customers with Goodyear Farm Tires.
Geoffrey Harris Tyres sold Goodyear Farm Tires products from 1968 to 2011 and wasted no time renewing that relationship when the famous brand returned to the UK and European markets this year.
A new specialist agricultural bank is set to launch later this year, offering financial services specifically designed for British farmers and backed by key agri-business firms. Established through the collaboration of experienced bankers, farmers, and technology experts, Oxbury – based in Chester – will provide farmers and growers with a bespoke range of competitive lending and savings products. These will help producers to manage their input costs and grow their businesses at a crucial time for UK agriculture.
Louth Tractors will be the first UK dealer to unveil the new Mitsubishi compact tractor at its annual open day that takes place on Wednesday 15 January between 10:00 – 16:00.
The free-to-attend event will feature special deals and the latest farm technology at its dealership on the Fairfield Industrial Estate, as well as an exclusive offer on pre-orders for the new Mitsubishi compact tractor.
Reesink Agriculture used LAMMA to meet dealers from across the country and introduce them to Farmtrac and discuss business opportunities.
Farmtrac is seen by UK distributor Reesink as the perfect addition to broaden the range available in the tractor market for smallholdings, small farms, equestrian centres, contractors, growers and large estates.
We spent a very useful few days at the NEC this last week. Our first reaction was that the show was bigger and better than last year. Without so much as quiet corner, all the available halls were packed with stands and visitors alike.
A slightly slow first morning start (due to the almost inevitable motorway accident and associated delays) was more than compensated for by the overall footfall and confidence of the visitors.
Designed to improve spray efficiency, reduce drift and active ingredient volumes the Dutch developed Wingssprayer system is now exclusively available in the UK via Landquip.
The Wingssprayer relies on the air streams created by forward motion of the sprayer boom, and headwinds to create a downward swirl of fine droplets, the wings gently touch the crop to open the canopy and this swirl penetrates the crop.
Root crop machinery specialists GRIMME UK has announced an exclusive partnership agreement with Lincoln-based Agri-tech company HarvestEye Ltd to deliver HarvestEye™ technology to the potato industry.
HarvestEye™ is a UK patented technology that provides insight on size, count and crop variation on unwashed potatoes as they are harvested. The integrated data analytics shows precisely what is being lifted and from where in the field. Providing greater field level information than conventional sampling: this insight will help maximise marketable yield and reduce crop imbalance.
FarmGEM has announced the appointment of S&K Sprayer Services of Alford, Lincolnshire as its sole importer for the UK and Ireland.
The S&K team have many years’ experience in the crop spraying industry and are already supplying and supporting their own “Nitro Bar” front mounted tank and liquid fertiliser application systems and “Smart Spray” a technically advanced band spraying system throughout the UK and Ireland.
Sly Agri started in 2006 in the UK and the company was built on a strong family history of agricultural equipment. They will now be known as Horizon Agriculture, focussed on regenerative and conservation agricultural equipment, a new brand of seed drill manufacturing in the UK.
Soil is the part between the ground and the sky, it’s where we are all looking and focussing – “Whats on the Horizon?” This will be the company name and branding for the future of the new British engineered and built products which will deliver the best seed placement and growing system for the UK market from the companies factory in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Products are being engineered, built and developed on the home farm nearby meaning a customer is investing in a farming system, proven and tested here on home soil.
At an annual meeting of Ukrainian dealers LOZOVA MACHINERY presented its 2020 plans.
The company presented new implements to the dealers and announced the release of more than 10 new products and modifications of units, including tillage machinery, sprayers and transportation equipment for 2020.
This year the company held and took part in more than 100 events to promote its brand to world markets. Ukraine, Europe and the CIS, as well as North America markets remain a priority for the company. Next year, to achieve ambitious targets, the company intends to strengthen the role of distributors in the sales of its machinery.
Following the successful roll-out of a three-year warranty on Kverneland power harrows, that same guarantee now extends to Kverneland power harrow drill combinations. And choices have further increased with the arrival of a new grain and fertiliser model, called the e-drill Maxi Plus.
Based on the existing e-drill Maxi, this new version gains a split hopper design and dual metering units, also lending the e-drill Maxi Plus to companion cropping. Its 2,000-litre hopper can be divided as 60:40, 70:30 or 100:0. Working widths are 3m, 3.5m and 4m, with prices starting from £35,622.
AgMachinery, the online used machinery platform, will be exhibiting for the first time at LAMMA 2020 at the NEC in January.
Agmachinery brings together on one easy to navigate site a wide range of agricultural machinery from leading dealers throughout the UK and Ireland. Via the search facility on the site, users can quickly and easily search through the extensive range of machinery listed, some of which is available with a warranty and/or finance package.
Sumo has announced the promotion of Mark Curtis (Sales Director) to General Manager of the business.
Sumo has undergone a small management restructure over the last three months. The changes have seen the business adopt a much leaner management structure in order to aid decision making and drive the business forward.
CLAAS, one of the leading international manufacturers of agricultural equipment, recorded a slight year-on-year rise in sales at €3.898 billion (prior year: €3.889 billion). Income before taxes fell to €136 million (prior year: €226 million).
“CLAAS recorded stable development in an increasingly negative market environment. Despite the anticipated drop in income, we kept the company on course and systematically invested in the further digitalization and the expansion of our market positions,” said Thomas Böck, CEO of the CLAAS Group.
Bednar UK has revealed that a new partnership has been formed with Ernest Doe – Ulting and Sons Ltd.
This development is part of a franchise restructuring for the Doe company and will encompass both, the New Holland and the Case IH, Ernest Doe Power – Agriculture business.
LAMMA show organiser AgriBriefing is once again joining forces with health and safety specialist Safety Revolution to help drive down the number of deaths and serious injuries occurring on UK farms.
The Farm Safety Zone at LAMMA ’20 will provide a valuable opportunity to promote positive safety messages to help address this ongoing problem on UK farms, which saw 32 workers lose their lives and around 14,000 more suffer non-fatal injuries in 2018/19.
Claydon has appointed Akos Hutoczki to the role of After-Sales and Service Manager as part of an ongoing expansion programme to meet increasing demand for Claydon crop establishment products from customers all over the world.
“I am delighted to be joining Claydon at such an exciting stage in its development,” Akos states. “My role is to act as a link between the company, management team, manufacturing and service staff, together with our growing network of dealers on all aspects of after sales and service. My responsibilities include the development and implementation of training programmes and procedures to ensure that dealers’ sales staff and service technicians have all the information that they need to ensure that Claydon customers receive the best possible service, wherever they are located.
The Society of Ploughmen have announced that they will be celebrating the 70th British National Ploughing Championships at Mindrum, Northumberland on 10th and 11th October 2020.
A 200 acre site has been offered by D Harvey & Son less than two miles from the Scottish border, between Wooler and Kelso. The event is not often to be seen so far north, as this will be only the third time the event has been held in Northumberland in its’ 70 year history and it has only ever been held in Scotland four times.
Bombardier Recreational Products is expanding its commercial team in the UK with the addition of experienced off-road and motorcycle specialist Richard Gregg as district commercial manager. The appointment is part of BRP’s ongoing investment in its UK operation to ensure it continues to meet the constantly evolving needs and requirements of its dealer network and the on-road and off-road markets.
Farmers and contractors looking to run a 114-140hp tractor with versatile stepless transmission next year should call on the Argo Tractors stand 8.604 at the LAMMA show in January, where they could win one!
Argo Tractors is offering free 12 months’ use of the award-winning McCormick X6.4 VT-Drive with the aim of giving a livestock, mixed enterprise or arable farm a welcome New Year boost.
Having successfully helped a south-west premium-brand tractor and farm machinery dealership expand and more than double its sales turnover, Martin Payne has joined a tractor manufacturer to support other dealers as they develop their businesses.
Mzuri, a British manufacturer of strip tillage machinery, will be displaying their popular Pro-Til Select single pass drill at LAMMA 2020.
Visitors to Mzuri’s stand 19.340 located in Hall 19 will see the versatile Pro-Til 3T Select and have the opportunity to sign up to ClubMzuri – a resource for benchmarking costs and sharing knowledge between growers who are established with the Mzuri system, growers just starting out or growers who are looking to take the leap.
As well as all the benefits of standard Pro-Til single pass establishment, the Pro-Til Select series can drill in a choice of narrower or wider row spacings. The narrow 33cm row spacing suits crops such as wheat, barley and oats whilst the wider 66cm rows make the Select models ideal for crops such as maize, oilseed rape and legumes, thanks to better suiting the natural architecture of the plants.
The manufacturer advocates the use of wide rows in these crops to generate greater light interception within the canopy and lower levels, promoting stronger, healthier growth and supporting higher yields. The free flow of air movement helps to reduce moisture and control the associated fungal diseases whereas the extra space between the leaves minimises the transfer of disease by contact.
In addition to carrying out multiple operations including tilling, fertilising, drilling and reconsolidation in one pass the Pro-Til system offers several coulter configurations to give users increased flexibility. From wide band, narrow band and precision units the Pro-Til Select can be tailored to different conditions and crops making it the ultimate tool for single pass establishment.
Across the two days, visitors to stand 19.340 will be able to sign up to the manufacturers initiative to help current Mzuri users and those looking to switch to get the best out of their system.The project has been set up to help Mzuri users get the most out of their system by recording and sharing establishment data and best practice techniques. From growers who have been strip tilling for years to those just starting out, the project provides a platform for sharing knowledge and experience to further drive down costs and increase yields.
Family-run Heming Engineering Ltd is right on track for future expansion by growing its sales portfolio of some of the country’s leading brands of tractors and farm machinery.
The company – based in Willersey, near Broadway, and part of the 51-year-old Heming Group – has now joined the M40/M5 corridor dealer networks of some of the agricultural sector’s biggest names.
Heming Engineering Ltd are now suppliers for leading brands such as Muthing Flail Mowers, Tafe Tractors, Fleming Equipment, Zetor Tractors, Woods Rotary Mowers and Grillo ride-on mowers. All key brands of specialist grass care, equestrian and orchard management products are also available.
The company operates across many sectors including agriculture, arable farming, construction, dairy farming, equestrian, grasscare, horticulture, livestock farming, mechanical engineering and sports and leisure.
Peter Heming, MD of Heming Group, said: “This is an exciting time for us. Last year was memorable for marking the 50th anniversary of our company and we look forward to the next 50 years and what new ventures that brings.”
Heming Engineering Ltd – which notched up 50 years of trading last year – has built its reputation on providing tractor parts and machinery spares, the servicing and repair of all types of agricultural equipment, commercial and four-wheel drive vehicles and the maintenance of industrial and construction equipment.Heming Group comprises Heming Services, Heming Plant Hire, Ford Electrical and Major Cooling and Heating – as well as Heming Engineering.
A record number of budding agricultural engineers and technicians have just completed the first block of training at AGCO’s Academy and training facilities at WCG’s Moreton Morrell College campus, on the road to building a career for life.
In one of the most sought-after and respected apprenticeship schemes across all industry sectors, AGCO has seen a total of 30 new candidates enrolled within the 2020 Year 1 Cohort, coming from 15 different dealerships across the country.
Anthony Linfield, AGCO’s Training Development Manager, said, “We have seen unprecedented numbers enrol in 2020 as both dealerships and individuals recognise the opportunities this industry renowned qualification brings. From Tiverton to Carlisle, Ross-on-Wye to Suffolk and just about everywhere between, dealerships are developing their staffing skills and young apprentices are starting their journey on a rewarding career path.”
The AGCO Academy Apprenticeship, now in its 21st year, has been the starting point for some of the most highly respected and coveted agricultural engineers in the sector.
Supported by AGCO’s nationwide network of service dealerships, the AGCO Apprenticeship scheme offers aspiring engineers the opportunity to build a rewarding vocation, often in a sector they had not previously considered.
Three of AGCO’s Year 1 Cohort, Carl Wallace of the TNS depot in Kennett near Newmarket, George Maslen of Redlynch in Blandford, Dorset, and Will Callow of C.J. Cox, also in Dorset, have been talking about what attracted them to join the AGCO Academy Apprenticeship Scheme.
Working predominantly with Massey Ferguson and Fendt brands at the TNS branch in Kennett, near Newmarket in Suffolk, 17-year-old Carl Wallace was offered an apprenticeship place following successful work placements, and the completion of a Level 2 Engineering certificate at Easton and Otley College.
“TNS offered me the opportunity, and the more people I spoke to helped me realise this apprenticeship scheme is a great chance for me,” said Carl. “I am already doing quite a few technical jobs with engineers, as well as lots of general servicing.
“I am keen to work my way through the ranks at TNS. At Kennet we work with a good range of machines, particularly with a lot of smaller tractors around the various studs in Newmarket,” he added. “The vast range of kit in the workshops at the AGCO Academy means there is access to what we can expect in the workplace.”
Redlynch’s George Maslen, based at the Blandford depot in Dorset, comes from a farming background with an engineering influence, so was always keen to combine the two interests with the best career opportunities.
“My uncle used the dealership for his Fendt, so I contacted them for a work experience place for my studies at Sparsholt College. This progressed to Saturday and holiday work, and soon after finishing college I was offered the apprenticeship,” said George.
George works mainly with Fendt brands, and has also been involved in all kinds of servicing work, as well as having opportunity to go out with the engineers.
“I am really looking forward to developing my skills and my career with Redlynch. We have a good customer base, and with the comfort of a recognised qualification behind me on completion, I will aim to make the most of my career.”
Will Callow, also based in Dorset with C.J. Cox, has lived on farms all his life and has also worked with his father on projects rejuvenating old tractors, and always ‘tinkering’, as he puts it.
“In January this year, I wasn’t sure of my future plans,” said the 17-year-old. “I knew I wanted to do something in farming, but also with engineering involved. I had applied for a college course, and needed a work experience placement, so contacted several local dealers.
“C.J. Cox came back to me immediately, and I had a 45-minute interview which led to a few weeks of trial-work. This resulted in a work placement through the school holidays before I was due to start college in September,” added Will.
He obviously impressed, as he was offered an apprenticeship place, a decision Will finally took up on the day he was due to start his college induction.
“I spoke with engineering friends of my Dad, and they simply said there was not a better place to learn, with a broad learning base and access to machinery and kit,” explained Will.
In what has been a tough year for the agricultural industry, these young apprentices have recognised the important role fully trained engineers and technicians play in keeping the farming sector running during the key busy periods.
Tim Hutchinson course leader of the scheme at WCG said, “Over the course of the academic year we will be developing the core competencies of the group including basics of tractor driving, hitching implements and the controls. From there we look at basic servicing, including oil changes and air filtration, before moving on to more practical elements, including cooling systems and other kit such as drills, sprayers and spreaders.
“After that we work with braking systems and transmissions then moving onto encompass all other level 2 subject areas”
Carl, George and Will join a total of some 90 apprentices across four-years of the Level-3 apprenticeship scheme, which now includes the new end-point assessment (EPA).
Anthony Linfield, AGCO’s training development manager, explains, “The AGCO apprenticeship schemes offer a real opportunity to gain knowledge and skills at college, as well as gaining valuable hands-on experience in the workplace.”Mr Linfield concludes, “Time-served land-based engineers that progress and demonstrate high levels of expertise are a tremendous asset to all of us in the industry. Moreover, they are much in demand, and if this new Cohort can continue this progress, they can look forward to a rewarding career.”
Some of the most innovative machinery and equipment likely to bring significant benefits to farming and contracting business has been recognised in the prestigious LAMMA Innovation Awards.
Entries ranged from simple but brilliant to ultra hi-tec, illustrating the imagination and flair that drives the advancement of science and technology across the agricultural manufacturing sector.
The entries were judged on a range of criteria including design innovation, practical impact, the sustainability of the product and its impact on the environment.
Visitors to LAMMA will be able to see the medal winners and talk to the companies that put them forward, thanks to the return of the popular Innovation Trail, which was introduced last year.
The judging panel was made up of experts from across the agricultural manufacturing and education sectors, led by chairman Chris Rothery.
“We were very pleased by the number of entries, one of the highest we have received, and the variety of those entries,” Mr Rothery said. “I was particularly delighted with the quality in the Future section which had 22 participants in only the second year of this category.
“I am looking forward to following the Innovation Trail at the NEC on the 7th January, visiting many stands to see the entries that we judged in November.”
The annual awards, which are supported by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), are open to any company exhibiting a new product at LAMMA. Entrants compete for one gold and up to three silver medals in each of six categories.
In addition, the LAMMA Founders trophy will be awarded to the overall champion at 2pm on the first day of LAMMA in the Farming 4.0 zone.
IAgrE has supported the LAMMA Innovation Awards for many years through judging, and it also sponsors the Ivel award for the best product among the medal winners for environmental innovation.
Jane Rickson, president of IAgrE, said: “In recognition of our tractor heritage, the Ivel award was created in memory of Dan Albone, the designer of the first successful light farm tractor.
“The institution is motivated and driven by innovation. We recognise agricultural engineering can reduce the environmental footprint of farming through reducing carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency. By supporting the Innovation Awards, IAgrE can reward practical, environmentally efficient and sustainable agricultural engineering.”
LAMMA Innovation Awards 2020 – gold and silver medals
Future Innovation
Gold: Skippy Scout – Drone Ag
Designed to help farmers walk crops more efficiently, Skippy Scout is an easy-to-use crop-monitoring app that uses drones to automatically capture images that are analysed by artificial intelligence.
The phone-based app uses GPS and mapping software to fly a drone to points in a field selected by the farmer, providing accurate green area index, emerging plant counts, weed identification and insect damage.
Judges’ comments:
This innovation is a practical and cost-effective method for assessing weeds and disease levels throughout an arable crop, providing farmers with an immediate and readily accessible analysed view of each field.
Silver: I-Spray – Kuhn
KUHN’s i-Spray concept uses boom-mounted hyperspectral sensors and individual nozzle control to detect and treat individual weeds. It could offer 50-80% reduction in chemical use.
Silver: Permos Pellet Harvester – Krone UK
The world’s first mobile harvester picks up straw and presses it into top-quality, high-fibre pellets for bedding, animal feed and fuel.
Arable Innovation
Gold: RT 500 and trailed harrow – Razorback
With a cutting width of 5m, the Razorback RT 500 features three triple-blade rotors driven by a 250hp driveline to provide ample power.
Partnered by a specially developed trailed flexible tine harrow this combination is useful in arable crops, chopping and distributing straw and providing good cultural control of slugs and flushing weeds.
Judges’ comments:
The combined action of the topper and harrow is impressive in tackling crop residues and soil incorporation. The one-pass system has potential for reducing slug populations and pesticide use while promoting stale seed development.
Silver: TWINPACT double plunger baler – Kuhn
Kuhn’s extreme high density baler uses an innovative Twinpact double plunger system, whereby the bottom half hits the bale first followed by the top half, using full force on each impact and eliminating the need for an oversized driveline, flywheel or mainframe.
Silver: H2Flo Water Conservation Agent – ICL
This wetting and water conservation agent enables quick and total wetting of substrate and soil, moving water vertically and horizontally thereby reducing irrigation requirement and runoff.
Silver: Vredo Crop Drill System – JC Machinery
Vredo’s Agri Twin and Vredo Agri Air Series drills at LAMMA will feature the Crop Drill System to sow arable crops directly on corn stubbles without any tillage on 15 cm row distance. The machine keeps its features for grassland overseeding in 7.5 cm rows. Hydraulically retractable disc coulters and divertible distributors to stop seed flow enable quick conversion to the arable setting.
Livestock Innovation
Gold: Triple X Fencing System – McVeigh Parker
Triple X is a long-lasting, all-steel fencing system using quick-clip steel posts, premium wire netting and all-steel strainers. The fencing system can offer up to 50% savings over the course of its 30+ year life.
The fencing takes significantly less time to erect, cutting labour costs, and is recyclable at the end of its life.
Judges’ comments:
This durable fencing system offers value for money in relation to its life expectancy and, if needed, recyclability. Innovation can be simple – every strand could be held by the catch system. Compared to timber posts the fence system seemed to offer longevity and ease of maintenance, and compared with some metal systems there were no fiddly components to break or lose.
Silver: Intellimix – Kuhn
An electronic control system applied to a continuously variable transmission enables a relatively low-powered tractor to operate a three-auger mixer wagon, while putting less strain on tractor and wagon components.
Online Innovation
Gold: Emily Feed System
This new free app has been developed to simplify daily livestock ration calculations. The operator selects the required ration and indicates the number of animals, then the application calculates quantities.
It can be used with a wide range of mixing and feeding equipment. Users can register up to 20 different rations with 30 ingredients.
Judges’ comments:
This app offers many potential benefits, including time saving, accurate nutrition and the fact it can be used with existing systems. It is very adaptable in calculating quantities distributed and is very user friendly.
Silver: Energy Guard – HIT Energy Services
Designed to ensure solar panels are generating as much energy as possible, HIT’s monitoring platform, Energy Guard, enables solar PV plant owners to observe the performance of their panels remotely in real time.
Diversification Innovation
Gold: Mass Store Rainwater Harvesting – JRH Water Management Ltd
Mass Store Rainwater Harvesting is a unique system to collect and store large amounts of rainwater from roofs for future use.
Traditional harvesting relies tanks holding about 1.5 months of average rainfall to help keep the water fresh. JRH supplies tanks to collect full water yields and supplies chemical to keep the water clean and storable for long periods. Ideal for spraying systems.
Judges’ comments
Rainwater harvesting is becoming more important with climate change, offering a sustainable supply of clean water that helps to reduce water bills and offers a viable alternative to mains supply for many uses around the farm.
Silver: Heated Jacket – TTI Milkwaukee Tools
Reducing the need for bulky layers in cold conditions, Milwaukee heated jackets utilise carbon fibre heating elements to generate and trap heat across core body areas.
Driven Innovation
Gold: Weed Ripper – Westermann
This walk-behind machine is designed to rip thick weeds and moss from hard surfaces without the use of chemicals or water. It is equipped with 12 braided wire brushes with adjustable height control which repeatedly attack the weeds from all angles.
Judges’ comments:
This powerful piece of equipment appears to clear thick weed growth effectively, without the need for chemical control, and has a large market with multiple customers.
Ivel Award
Vredo Crop Drill System – JC Machinery
Adding to its silver innovation award in the Arable innovation category, Vredo’s Crop Drill System received the Ivel award in recognition of its environmental contribution.
Judges’ comments:This system reduces power required to place seed in all sorts of soil, including reseeding pasture, as the slot is cut and no cultivations are required.
Early bird tickets for Scotland’s greatest celebration of food, farming and rural life, the Royal Highland Show, have been launched in time for the festive shopping season.
Bargain hunters are expected to snap up the first release of tickets for 2020’s event at 2019 prices ahead of a planned ticket price increase in January.
Organisers, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), have revealed that Scotland’s biggest outdoor event will be bigger and better than ever next year to mark its 180th Royal Highland Show which will take place from 18 to 21 June 2020 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston.
With research showing that experiences provide more lasting happiness than objects, organisers are hoping that RHS tickets will top the ‘must-have’ Christmas present list this year. New for this year is a limited-edition laminated souvenir ticket (available for £29.95 plus booking fee) to mark the 180th Show, which comes with a special commemorative lanyard, for those looking for an extra-special gift.
Available on the RHS website, www.royalhighlandshow.org, tickets will cost £24, plus booking fee.
As part of the RHASS’ charitable remit, accompanied children 15 years or younger will continue to attend the Show for free.Commenting on the ticket launch, RHASS Chief Executive Alan Laidlaw said: “A significant number of RHS visitors return year after year so we were keen to offer our loyal showgoers the first opportunity to buy at 2019 prices before we increase ticket costs in January”.
