Some major machinery manufacturers are evidently availing of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association’s (FTMTA’s) facilities near Naas, Co. Kildare.

The association’s so-called Farm Machinery Industry Training Centre (FMITC) is hosting Valtra next week, for example – for training on its new ‘SmartTouch’ in-cab tractor control system.

According to Valtra, SmartTouch allows the operator to control almost everything in the tractor – with the “exception of the driver’s seat and air-conditioning”.

Tractors have been delivered to the FMITC, ahead of next week’s training programme.

Claas has also recently availed of the FTMTA’s facilities; it ran a training programme for operators of its latest Jaguar self-propelled forage harvesters earlier this month.

Meanwhile, tickets are available online for this year’s FTMTA Grass & Muck event – to be held at Gurteen College near Birr on Thursday, May 17.

The association says that 11,500 visitors attended the 2016 event; it hopes to see that figure exceeded this year.

A spokesperson said recently: “The focus at FTMTA Grass & Muck is very much on working machinery, with ongoing demonstrations throughout the day in the grass harvesting, re-seeding, silage pit, slurry spreading and farmyard manure spreading areas.”

Big manufacturers have already been busy announcing what equipment they’re planning to bring to the event; expect to see, for example, the latest self-propelled forage harvesters right down to the smallest tedders – and everything silage-related in between.

Tickets for the upcoming event are available by clicking on this link.