THE queue for the car parks at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate even before Ripon Farm Services’ New Year Show officially opened its doors were testament to the ever-increasing popularity of this annual event so it is not surprising that the team is expecting to announce record visitor numbers this year.

Dan Robinson of Ripon Farm Services said: “It was a great kick start to the New Year and we want to thank both all the manufacturers who put on such a great display in the halls of the Yorkshire Event Centre and our customers who supported us so well.”

The two-day show took place on Wednesday and Thursday 15 and 16 January, cementing its place as the first major Yorkshire event of the year. A warm welcome, including free tea and coffee and bacon sandwiches ensured there was a real buzz, and stands from organisations associated with agriculture, including the NFU, Yorkshire Agricultural Society and RABI, were kept busy with customers.

Heather Parry, Managing Director of the Yorkshire Event Centre said: “We are proud to host the Ripon Farm Services New Year Show here at the Yorkshire Event Centre. This was the 16th year we have held it and it’s true to say that this gets more and more popular every single year. Geoff Brown and his team do a fantastic job of organising the event and it is a terrific opportunity for farmers to start the new year by seeing and testing the latest products and innovative machinery. We are delighted to be part of this success story and to see it continue to flourish for years to come.”

Some of the very latest machinery was on show, including the all-new John Deere 6120M, 6140M, and 6195M tractors, plus the revolutionary 8RX, the industry’s first fixed-frame four-track tractor.

Kramer showed its all-new KL55.5T telescopic wheeled loader and the KT447 Black Edition telehandler, while Dalbo marked its tenth anniversary in the UK with two special edition rollers in black.

There was interest across the board, according to Dan, with everything from combines and sprayers to rollers and harrows getting a close look from the crowds.

A series of well-attended seminars from Bridgestone, John Deere and Kuhn took place in the Technology Zone on both days, covering everything from the right choice on farm tyres to advanced telematics for fleet management and forage production.

The Technology Zone was also home to Ripon Farm Service’s FarmSight service, designed to help customers to get the most out of their technology and equipment to maximise return on investment and farming efficiency.

Farmer Health Checks were also running on one of the days at the event. They were then set up for a second day at Farmstar at Marr near Doncaster and over the two days, nurses saw nearly 100 farmers who were given a quick health MOT and general chat about any additional worries.