OUT & ABOUT BAGMA has been to agricultural events in Scotland, Cornwall and Norfolk – as well as playing golf near a castle!

BAGMA makes a noise at the Royal Highland Show

BAGMA WAS VERY pleased to be exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show this year. It was good to be back and we were excited to be able to see members and have a catch-up on our stand as well. The weather was glorious, which meant we needed plenty of refreshments, so it was a good job we had catered for the masses for our Thursday evening ‘Party in the Tent’ celebrating 200 years of the Royal Highland Show and also a special birthday for one of our team.

We had arranged for a small band to play at the start of the celebrations, and we were pleasantly surprised when West Lothian Schools Pipe Band (pictured) came to play for everyone. The band was fantastic and drew a large crowd of members and passersby, all of whom enjoyed the entertainment and a number of members stayed to enjoy the rest of the event.

We were also able to help host the AEA’s Agri Evolution guests and introduce them to a real Scottish pipe band as a treat for travelling so far to attend the Royal Highland Show.

Throughout the show, the BAGMA team visited members at their stands and also welcomed them to our stand for light refreshments and some time out of the sunshine. It was a great opportunity to see so many members and have the time to talk to them about the future of BAGMA and to find out how they felt about being back at the show after a few years away. The feedback was very positive; everyone thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the stand, talk to us and to find out what has been happening over the last year.

Training fund for women judged success

A new scheme aimed at addressing inequality and providing more opportunities for women in Scottish agriculture has supported more than 750 trainees since its launch last year.

The Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund has been administered by Lantra Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, enabling women to benefit from courses in a range of areas, including tractor and trailer driving, sheepdog handling, lambing, cattle hoof trimming, and chainsaw use.

To mark the success of the scheme and celebrate their achievements, some of the women who received funding attended a reception at Lantra Scotland’s Royal Highland Show stand. Mairi McAllan MSP, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, was also there.

Lantra’s Scotland director, Dr Liz Barron-Majerik MBE, explained more about the training fund: “Research into the gender imbalance within agriculture in Scotland suggested that women needed more support to access vocational and practical training. This led to us working with the Scottish Government to create a fund specifically for women, covering costs of up to £500 for those who could show how the practical training would support their business or employment options.

“We are all extremely proud of everyone who has used our women in agriculture fund to develop their skills and talents. By making the sector more accessible, we are ensuring the long-term sustainability and resilience of Scotland’s rural economy.”

From left: Marcus Potter (Lantra CEO), Mairi McAllan MSP (Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform), Dr Liz Barron-Majerik MBE (Lantra Scotland director). Photo: Iain Forrest

Royal Cornwall Show returns with impressive guests and visitor numbers

THE ROYAL CORNWALL Show saw the highest visitor numbers in seven years – with 120,671 people attending the three-day event at the Wadebridge showground for the first time in three years.

Revealing the total, show secretary Chris Riddle said the event had been a resounding success: “After three years away it really was a step into the unknown in terms of crowd levels, but with only half a day of wet weather, the sun shone for both Friday and Saturday, and people returned in force. It was great to see everyone back at the show, with so many people enjoying all that was on offer.”

One of the highlights of the event was the visit by The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall on the second day.

“We were extremely honoured to receive a visit from Their Royal Highnesses, especially in what has been a remarkable couple of weeks including the Platinum Jubilee and His Royal Highness celebrating 70 years as the Duke of Cornwall,” Chris added.

Richard Jenkins, BAGMA’s business development manager, was there as he finds such events a good way to see members (when they have a quiet moment), and to meet with potentially new members. He was impressed with the effort that members had put into their stands with a number receiving awards. All areas of the show were busy and members reported good customer leads to follow up. Speaking with members, Richard heard some comment on the difficult times facing agricultural dealers. Although they said that there is business out there, they said it had slowed down and that supply chain issues had improved but were still having a negative effect on sales.

BAGMA member Cornwall Farm Machinery

Sun and success at BAGMA golf day

MEMBERS, SERVICE SUPPLIERS and staff converged on Fife’s premier parkland course – set in the spectacular rolling woodlands of Pitfirrane Castle – for BAGMA’s annual golf day.

The morning round at Dunfermline Golf Club’s par 72 course was played in warm, sunny conditions and saw players competing individually for the Frazer Trophy. This year the winner was Dean Lowe from event sponsors Safety Aide with an excellent score of 39 points. Dean’s victory was his second at this special event in the BAGMA calendar.

Dunfermline member Liam Armstrong from SRUC, who helped to organise the day, was second with 36 points.

After a quick lunch, players were all back out for the afternoon team competition. Played in similar conditions, the course was in remarkable condition after overnight rain with the greens deserving a special mention.

Players then all headed back to the clubhouse to mull over their rounds and to enjoy an excellent dinner and the prizegiving (sponsored by Safety Aide). Winners of the Blades Trophy for the best score were the team of Andrew Penman, Neil Ewart and Dean Lowe. They were closely followed by David Withers from ISEKI, Donald Jack and Liam Armstrong in second place. Liam also won the nearest the pin prize and Dean picked up the longest drive prize. During the presentation, all players commented on how much they had enjoyed the course and would be keen to return.

The BAMGA Golf Day is a very social event and would appeal to golfers of all standards, so please look out for next year’s dates.

Pitfirrane Castle Inset: The winning team - Andrew Penman, Neil Ewart and Dean Lowe

Norfolk Show’s welcome return

The two-day Royal Norfolk Show returned after a three-year absence, welcoming nearly 700 businesses and around 90,000 people. Princess Anne attended the first day at the Norfolk Showground.

Mark Nicholas, managing director of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, underlined the importance of the event: “There’s demand and utility in events of this kind. They have cultural significance, a social significance, and an economic significance. We know from our studies that the Royal Norfolk Show brings in £20m a year to the local economy.”

BAGMA’s Richard Jenkins was there, too. He said the machinery area and stands looked spaced out and that Ben Burgess, Ernest Doe, Pecks and CLAAS had huge stands.