Arable margins are tight, prices are volatile and with so much change on the horizon, it’s more important than ever for farmers to squeeze every pound out of their crops.
Whether it’s through precision kit, the latest variety choice on the market or using expert advice to tailor a more efficient business strategy, there is plenty on offer to help farmers boost profits at this year’s Cereals Event. Bringing together exhibitors from across the arable industry, less than a week remains before the 41st event gets under way in Cambridgeshire.
“Visiting Cereals gives arable farmers the opportunity to see what they should do, what they could do and what they would like to do,” explains Jon Day, event organiser at Comexposium. “We’ve seen visitors return year after year to compare kit, get the latest technical information or simply for the networking opportunities. With all the changes in place ahead of this year’s event, we’re certain that Cereals 2018 will deliver exactly what both farmers and exhibitors are looking for.”
Stretching over 45ha on a working farm and attracting more than 20,000 visitors every year, Cereals is a hub for everything arable. The launch of an exciting Cereals Event app – available to download from both the Apple app store and Google play for android – will help visitors to this year’s event by providing seminar timetables and notifications, information about exhibitors, the ability to create a list of favourites, and mapping to help find event features and exhibitors around the site.
David Hurst, arable manager at Law Farming, is looking forward to seeing the changes made to this year’s event. “As part of the Cereals Farmers Advisory Board I have had the great opportunity to help the Cereals team make the 2018 event focused on we want to come and see as farmers. This is the only show bringing together industry-wide technology, innovation and new ideas in one place. It really is the one show of the year in the agricultural sector not to be missed.”
With so much on offer, here are just five key reasons why visitors won’t want to miss Cereals 2018.
- Working demonstrations
For those who prefer to see kit in action before making a purchase decision, visitors to this year’s event will benefit from working demonstrations where the power, productivity and performance of a range of machinery will be put to the test.
New for 2018, this year’s event will also feature a cover crop drilling demonstration area. Exhibitors including Claydon Drills, Cousins of Emneth, Dale Drills, Ryetech Industrial Equipment and Sim-Tec Aitchison will demonstrate different direct drilling equipment on an 8ha area sown with a mix of cover crops provided by Kings. Demonstrations will take place twice-daily (11am and 1pm), with exhibitors putting their latest drills through their paces as an expert explains the unique features and benefits of each machine.
Cereals will also play host to the only live demonstration in the country of Harper Adams’ Hands Free Hectare outside the university. “This year we will be providing live demonstrations of our Hands Free Hectare project, that tended and harvested a crop using only autonomous vehicles and drones,” says Dr David Llewellyn, vice-chancellor of HAU. “As the leading technical event for the arable farming industry, Cereals has always been an extremely important date on Harper Adams University’s show calendar.”
Hands Free Hectare demonstrations will take place in the central agronomy zone at 10.15am and 1.45pm on Wednesday, and 11.15am and 1.15pm on Thursday.
- Cereals Conversation & Cereals Controversial
If you want to keep up with the latest industry research and thinking, this year’s new-look seminars will cover a breadth of topics.
Cereals Controversial will see some of the hottest topics in the arable industry up for discussion, with panels fronted by politicians and leading industry officials. Business resilience and demonstrating environmental and socially responsible activities are just some of themes set to be discussed by some of the most influential people in UK agriculture.
Cereals Conversations will be a hub for knowledge exchange, taking a more technical approach and providing cutting-edge research and advice for farmers. Industry experts from across the sector will be on hand, arming growers with knowledge on everything from using data to drive decision making to emerging weed control strategies.
This year’s content partner, AHDB, will be hosting seminars in both the Conversation and Controversial marquees, with several speakers taking their seat in sessions across the two days, while HSBC UK is sponsoring two sessions in the Cereals Controversial marquee.
- Innovation Insights
Another opportunity to catch up on the latest technical advances will be through the new Innovation Insights feature on Wednesday 13th June at 3.00pm. Located in the Agronomy Zone area, visitors can see quick fire presentations from over 30 Agri-Tech East member organisations including established companies, small organisations, researchers and start-ups.
- Guided tours and CPD
With a site covering 45ha, it can be difficult to see everything you want to in a single day. However, this year expert guides will take groups of visitors on a curated tour of exhibitors and event features relating to a specific theme – covering everything from Recommended List varieties to soil management and innovation in action.
BASIS and NRoSO CPD points will be available from a range of exhibitors through the BASIS and NRoSO Knowledge Exchanges. Points are also available for some of the guided tours.
- Networking
Aside from the vast array of innovation and knowledge available at Cereals, it is also the perfect networking opportunity.
Whether it’s catching up with fellow farmers or chatting to new experts, Cereals brings together over 20,000 like-minded farmers and advisers each year.
This year, the newly launched #clubhectare group will be holding a social meet up at 11.00am on Wednesday in the Innovation Insights marquee and at the Corteva Agriscience stand, which will include a tour of the plots followed by food and drink on stand.
“The opportunities at Cereals are endless,” explains Mr Day. “We look forward to welcoming everyone on 13-14 June and can’t wait to see all our new features in action.”
- Tickets are on sale via the website cerealsevent.co.uk/tickets and visitors can use the promotional code CEREALS18A to save 15% on ticket prices.
