Category: Exhibitor News

Former Rugby International Alan Quinlan will be with the National Dairy Council on Day 1 of the ploughing, Tuesday 22^nd September from 11.00am-2.30pm. Originally from Tipperary, Alan Quinlan first played rugby for Ireland in October 1999 and played his first Six Nations match against Italy in 2001. He was part of Ireland’s squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and will be providing insights into the current World Cup campaign.

Ten times All-Ireland hurling champion Henry Shefflin will be with the National Dairy Council on Wednesday 23^rd September from 12 noon until 3pm.

Both Alan and Henry will share fitness and sports nutrition tips; and will help to highlight ‘Win With Dairy,’ the NDC’s national campaign this Autumn which celebrates the positive role that milk can play in sports nutrition, at whatever level you play or enjoy sports. ‘Win With Dairy’ is part of a nutrition-led strategy which embraces the versatile role of dairy throughout our life-stages.

Nutrition & You

Broadcaster and designer Brendan Courtney joins the National Dairy Council at the National Ploughing Championships on Day 3, Thursday 24^th September from 12 noon until 3.00pm. He will highlight the expansion of the range of consumer leaflets on ‘Nutrition and You’ from the NDC which are supported by the INDI (Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute. The series now features nutritional information tailored for children, for adults and for the 50+ age group.

Brendan will be live on stage in conversation with Dr. Marianne Walsh talking about healthy eating, active lifestyles, grooming, fashion and communication (12 noon, 1.30pm and 2.00pm).

Winning Ingredients – Free Cookery Demonstrations with Chef Brian McDermott

Daily cookery demonstrations by well-known chef Brian McDermott at the NDC Dome will highlight the Winning Taste of Dairy with plenty of recipes to tantalise the taste buds.

Brian McDermott is a resident chef on RTÉ’s Today Show, has presented his own weekly cookery slot on BBC Radio Foyle and is a regular contributor to many national events and press titles. He has been cooking professionally for over 25 years and also runs his own cookery school in Moville, Inishowen, Co. Donegal.

Brian is passionate about using local produce and cooking ‘honest’ food with no hidden ingredients or added salt. “I let the ingredients speak for themselves by using herbs and spices that complement, but don’t overshadow the main dish.” The free cookery demonstrations will take place each day of the ploughing at the NDC Dome at 11.00am, 1.00pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Winning Taste of Dairy

A flavour for the innovative, expanding and diverse ranges of dairy products available to consumers will be celebrated with a new exhibition from a selection of NDC member dairy co-ops inside the NDC Dome.

The NDC also continues to promote the quality of our pasture based dairy farming and will showcase the national finalists in the 2015 NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards at the ploughing. The national award programme, known as the Sam Maguire of dairy farming, identifies and awards our top dairy farmer each year.

Fun With Dairy

The ever popular PhotoBooth returns to the NDC Dome with a chance to win prizes each day of the Ploughing.  You can also test your football skills in an interactive penalty shoot-out zone where there is the opportunity each day to win some spot prizes.

You can find out more at www.ndc.ie or www.winwithdairy.ie . You can also follow the National Dairy Council on Facebook/NDCIreland or Twitter @NDC_ie

The countdown is on! With only two weeks left to the highly anticipated National Ploughing Championships 2015, that, year on year continues to attract hundreds of thousands of people from all over Ireland and abroad, we are delighted to announce the fantastic prizes on offer for the popular Most Appropriately Dressed competitions that take place on Day 2 of the event, Wednesday 23^rd September.

This year the ever popular ‘Most Appropriately Dressed Lady’ competition welcomes a new sponsor from the West of Ireland, the award winning five star Philip Treacy designed g Hotel & Spa Galway, have given a prize to the value of over €3,000. The winner will receive a two night weekend escape for two people to The g staying in their most luxurious bedroom, the Linda Evangelista Suite. The prize includes two night’s bed and breakfast, a Champagne gourmet dinner for two in Restaurant gigi’s, their signature Afternoon Tea experience, plus a 55 minute treatment each in their spa, ESPA at the g.

Not only out to spoil the ladies that attend the National Ploughing Championships on Wednesday 23^rd September, the men too are in for a designer treat! The Most Appropriately Dressed Gent will receive both an exclusive prize of a €1,000 voucher generously sponsored by Wineport Lodge nestled on the banks of Lough Ree, in Athlone County Westmeath, plus a dapper tailored-made suit sponsored by Master Tailor himself, Louis Copeland & Sons.

Throughout Wednesday 23^rd September, undercover judges will be circulating throughout the site spying for potential winners, so dress to impress! If you are handed a finalist tag, please make sure to be at the bandstand 3.30pm for the final judging and presentation of prizes.

This year’s National Ploughing Championships will take place in Ratheniska, Stradbally, County Laois. In total, over 700 acres of land will be needed to for the occasion. The event will not only cater for all sectors of agricultural and rural life, but features something for just about every member of the community.

Massey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), is introducing an impressive range of new Hay and Forage equipment. Designed and built at AGCO’s Feucht facility in Germany, this comprehensive line-up encompasses a wide array of high quality and energy-efficient mowers, rakes and tedders.

Massey Ferguson’s strategy is to introduce an exclusive and full-line of equipment across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This enables customers to use the sales and service experience of their trusted and professional Dealers and Distributors with the confidence that the machines are supported by Massey Ferguson, explains Campbell Scott, Director Marketing Services EAME.

“Massey Ferguson is a highly successful manufacturer of a full line of tractors, material handling and harvesting equipment, including high quality combines and balers. So it is a logical move to extend the Brand portfolio into Hay and Forage implements from a highly experienced Competence Centre within our own group.”

“Our strategy is to offer both new and existing customers the potent amalgamation of a Massey Ferguson Tractor + Hay & Forage Implement + Technology, with each component working in harmony with the other, forming a Perfect Partnership.”

“This is on top of the advantages to be gained from ISObus compatibility along with auto-guidance, headland management and telemetry,” he adds. “This will place grassland farmers, who choose to farm with Massey Ferguson machinery, at the forefront of total energy efficiency in their farming operations.”

The full range of new Hay and Forage equipment will be progressively launched across European markets on a country by country basis,” says Adam Sherriff, Manager, Marketing Massey Ferguson.

“We are initially launching this new range into the UK and Ireland, and are evaluating market opportunities in other countries across the EAME region.”

The new Massey Ferguson Hay and Forage Line-up comprises:

Massey Ferguson DM Series Mowers & Mower conditioners

• Five mounted disc mowers from 2.06m to 4m working widths

• Two 3m and 4m wide semi-mounted mower conditioners

• Heavy-duty 3m trailed mower conditioner

• Three centre-drawbar, trailed mower conditioners

• 8.3m and 9.3m wide Butterfly-folding mowers

Massey Ferguson TD Series Tedders

• Six models offering working widths from 5.2m to 12.7m

• Four mounted machines with four, six or eight rotors

• Two trailed models with eight or ten rotors

Massey Ferguson RK Series Rakes

• Four single rotor, linkage mounted rakes, with working widths of 3.6m to 4.5m

• Four, two-rotor, semi-mounted, trailed chassis rakes offer working widths up to 10m

• Flagship four-rotor rake providing adjustable working widths up to 12.5m.

Massey Ferguson DM Series mowers cut and condition crops with care

The Massey Ferguson DM Series Disc Mower range includes a vast choice, including light, mounted disc models, front- and rear-mounted mowers, centre drawbar machines as well as trailed mower conditioners and ‘Butterfly’ folding combinations with ISObus control.

The Farmer Series is available in widths from 2.0m to 2.8m. The entry-level models are sturdy but lightweight, economical disc mowers for small to medium scale farmers. Ideally suited to work behind lower power tractors and for those with smaller areas to cut, the mowers boast features normally found on larger, more costly machines.

The Professional Series, designed for contractors and larger farms, includes mounted, semi-mounted and trailed disc mowers and mower/conditioners, with working widths from 2m up to a 9.3m front- and rear-combination. Built to provide the performance demanding operators need, the mowers’ boast a number of unique features to increase efficiency and lower operating costs.

Many of the mowers are equipped with the award-winning driveGuard overload system. This protects the driveline with simple and easy to fit ‘tabs’ rather than shear bolts or pins.

Centre-drawbar mower conditioners in the range provide the benefit of being able to operate to the left and right – like a reversible plough. This means there’s no need to work in lands and there’s no time wasted moving to the next bout as well as reducing the amount of short work.

Ultimate output is delivered by the Butterfly Mower Conditioner. Used in tandem with a choice of front-mounted mowers it will provide a working width of 8.3m for fast, efficient harvesting. Even greater outputs are achieved by the 9.3m working width model with swath conveyors and full ISObus control.

Massey Ferguson TD Series Tedders – gentle efficient spreading

The Massey Ferguson TD Series Tedder range encompasses six models to suit a wide range of crop types and applications. Available in working widths from 5.2m to 12.7m, each model offers easily adjustable spreading angles of 15°, 18° and 20.5°, allowing them to be set to match all crop conditions.

The four mounted tedders provide a choice of four, six or eight rotors depending on working width. Two, eight or ten rotor-trailed models, are fitted to a highly manoeuvrable chassis. This uses a novel system that double folds the machine lengthways, retaining an overall transport length of just 5.7m.

All the tedders are equipped with six-tine arms/rotor. The arms are constructed from strong, galvanised flat steel, which ensures consistent power transmission even in the heaviest crops and tough conditions. These are fitted with extremely strong, durable and flexible Super C tines made from 9.5mm diameter steel.

The individual rotors are driven by individual strong, hexagonal shafts through robust universal joints, to provide smooth power transmission free from back-lash. The enclosed rotor head design protects the components from dust and dirt, which ensures trouble-free operation and increases the working life.

Massey Ferguson RK Series Rakes for fast and efficient swath making

A vast array of single, two- and four-rotor rakes in the new Massey Ferguson RK Series include a choice of mounted or trailed models so users can select exactly the right machine for their crops, area and tractor power.

Four single rotor, linkage mounted rakes, with working widths of 3.6m to 4.5m, are equipped with a floating headstock for superb ground following ability. The rotor delivers the swath to the right-hand side and the durable design provides excellent raking quality with easy, straight-forward operation.

There is a choice of four different two-rotor, semi-mounted, trailed chassis rakes available in working widths up to 10m. These are equipped with the patented steerGUARD automatic steering system, which ensures the rake accurately follows the tractor’s wheels.

A novel suspension system, along with tandem axles, optimises ground following to provide perfect swath formation and minimum forage contamination. Heavy-duty versions of the 8m and 10m models are designed to cope with high yielding crops and demanding conditions.

The flagship four-rotor Rake, which provides adjustable working widths up to 12.5m, is built for contractors and large-scale farmers requiring accurate swath formation at high work-rates. The robust semi-mounted, trailed chassis machine is designed for transport speeds up to 50km/hr.

Adjustable working width allows operators to make the optimum swath size for the following harvester or baler. A novel headland management system automatically lifts and lowers the rear rotors on the headland, ensuring the swath ends are left neat and tidy.

Ends

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural equipment. AGCO supports more productive farming through a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems, seeding and tillage implements and replacement parts. AGCO products are sold through five core equipment brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra® and are distributed globally through a combination of approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2014, AGCO had net sales of $9.7 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.

AGCO: 25 years of identity, centuries of history

The problem of rush infestation is a constant headache for farmers. They can quickly infest a field if not managed and use up the foods, space, light and moisture which should nourish profitable crops. They make harvesting difficult and reduce the grazing value of land.

The traditional flail mower has until recently been the machine of choice for the clearance of rushes, scrub and small trees. However the fuel consumption costs and the slow pace of work associated with using a flail for heavy ground clearance encouraged the people at Major Equipment in Ballyhaunis to look to other alternatives.

Major Equipment Ltd developed the MAJOR Cyclone mower specifically for rush clearance and it is suitable for set-aside, forestry margin management and scrubland control. The MAJOR Cyclone easily copes with the toughest of conditions including shrub, saplings, gorse and brush as well as the clearance of arable stubble, including maize and rapeseed crops, yet the power requirement is up to 30% less than that required by a flail mower.

The MAJOR 2.5m Cyclone Mower has been short-listed for the Innovation Arena at this year’s National Ploughing Championships. It will also be on display at the MAJOR stand at Row 16, Stand 236.