Like Christmas and New Year, there are certain events in the calendar that come around with pleasing regularity and, for us in the Acres team and a large chunk of the farming community, LAMMA is one such event.
For its second year now, LAMMA was held at the NEC. Despite initial concerns about the change of venue last year, being inside certainly makes for a much more pleasant and relaxed experience for visitors and exhibitors. Once again, there was a buzz around the exhibition centre with both days being incredibly busy on the Acres stand. Last year, the first time it left Peterborough Showground and the wind, rain and wellies that inevitably came along with it. LAMMA was our first show at Acres and it has been wonderful to reflect on how far we have come in 12 short months: from a largely unknown new company to a recognised agricultural insurance business with a growing client base.
Unsurprisingly, conversation was centered largely around the weather and the challenges it has brought, although reports differed widely depending on who you spoke to and where they came from. One farmer in Essex was 90% drilled up, whereas many farmers in the central and eastern regions had very little in the ground and were considering now leaving it fallow this year and taking advantage of the opportunity to hit the blackgrass hard.
We had a busy couple of days with a steady stream of clients keeping the Acres team busy throughout the day. It was fantastic to see some old faces and also welcome some new ones, all willing to discuss business and see how Acres could improve their cover, reduce their premiums and provide them with personal customer service.
LAMMA is always a day for the big names to debut their latest innovations and this year was no different. Fendt were exhibiting their Fendt Ideal combine, the first combine in Europe to forgo a steering wheel allowing an impressive, unobstructed view of the header. Fendt were also showing their latest telescopic loader complete with a hydraulically lifting cab allowing the operator a clearer view whilst loading and unloading. These, along with Fendt’s redesigned, widescreen cab, meant that their stand was filled with farmers reaching for their cheque books.
Other notable exhibits included Stewart Trailers, who have developed a central tyre inflation system for its trailer range, allowing the operator to switch from field to road pressure in around 45 seconds and even a GPS system for auto-inflation, for those more forgetful operators. Furthermore, a number of drills, such as Bednar’s Omega and the Sulky Progress, were being shown which are able to sow three different crops with one pass, reducing compaction and man hours.
LAMMA is always a busy and tiring couple of days for all of us in the Acres team but we always enjoy the buzz of the show. It demonstrates the thriving and innovative nature of farming in the UK. LAMMA has set a very high bar for the year and we are looking forward to working with you in 2020!