CropTec celebrates 10 years
TECHNICAL arable farming event The CropTec Show will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year – it’s being held again at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, on November 23 and 24.
The event was originally created by Stephen Howe, former development director for a group which owned CropTec and LAMMA. Aware of the many changes facing arable growers at the time, he could see the opportunity for a ‘no frills’ technical event specifically for the sector.
At the time, new EU regulations were affecting pesticide use and availability, while UK legislation such as the Water Framework Directive, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and crosscompliance requirements brought a raft of further demands for farmers and their operators. Alongside this, cost of agri-chemicals was increasing, and environmental issues posed further challenges.
“We wanted to raise awareness among farmers about what was going on right now, what was coming up in the next year or two and what steps they could take now to prepare,” he said.
Nick Rainsley, head of marketing for Hutchinsons, was a member of the original CropTec steering committee which launched the event. He said: “We wanted it to be about information and knowledge exchange to and from manufacturers, suppliers and growers as efficiently as possible.
“I’ve been to CropTec every year since and it’s important for Hutchinsons to be there. The key strength is the quality of the growers. It draws out the more technically minded and those that are looking for opportunity and looking to learn.”
Stephen Burcham, director Horsch UK, agreed: “Horsch has been exhibiting at CropTec since the start. People come for information, and we like to be part of that by sponsoring the seminars. It is a niche event, but it gives us the opportunity to reach the right people.”
■ The theme for the 2022 event is ‘Farming in a changing climate: Controlling costs, cultivating resilience with seminar programme addressing environmental regulation, data, natural capital opportunities and disease control’.