“CropTec’s seminar programme is renowned for bringing together the industry’s top experts, policymakers and most successful farmers and this year is no exception,” said event manager Gareth Jones. “In our 10th anniversary year we were particularly keen to deliver a schedule providing the chance for farmers to invest in their knowledge and give practical insight into cost cutting and cultivating business resilience.”
Coping with change is the focus of the first seminar session with speakers tackling some of the most pressing questions around cost management in the arable sector from the impacts of international trade to the implications of environmental policy. The line-up of speakers includes Harry Henderson of AHDB, Carl Atkins agribusiness advisor with Terravost and Cambridgeshire farmer Ed Reynolds.
Further sessions explore how new technology and data can help control fertiliser costs and how to monetise environmental deliverables on-farm. From carbon to water, experts including George Cook from Andersons, Michael Kavanagh from Green Farm Collective and Dr Liz Reddy of ADAS will discuss opportunities for financial gain.
With the increase in regulation as well as rising costs, farmers are looking at ways to reduce chemical inputs. From Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to the role of plant breeding the afternoon session explores the strategies available to farmers now, while also asking ‘where next for disease control?’.
This year’s specialist hub line up includes Water (sponsored by Anglian Water), AHDB’s IPM hub, Natural Capital by Trinity AgTech and Bayer’s Digital Farming hub. Each has its own speaker schedule as well as experts on hand for one-to-one discussion and questions.
The Training Zone organised by BASIS provides visitors with practical information and advice. Teresa Meadows, BASIS head of environment and public affairs will discuss growing environmental pressures and how continuous training is increasingly important for farmers. She will introduce BASIS’s new course Principles of Sustainable Land Management and how it supports the transition to ELMS. Andy Brooks, who recently joined BASIS as head of operations from Harper Adams, will speak about how BASIS courses link to universities and continued education. Steve May, 2022 Sprayer Operator of the Year, will share his career story and how training, including a BASIS diploma, has helped him.
The Sprayer Demonstration will once again give farmers the opportunity to experience a working demo of the latest spraying equipment. Visitors simply need to speak with manufacturers on the day to organise a time slot for their in-cab experience.
