Farmers and growers across North Wales are being invited to find out more about a new shared machinery scheme ahead of its launch this autumn.
As farmers, growers and rural businesses gather at Mona Showground for the county's main agricultural event, the Anglesey Agricultural Show, Menter Môn is taking the opportunity to introduce the North Wales Machinery Ring to the people it has been designed to support. The scheme will give farmers and growers shared access to specialist horticultural machinery through an online booking system, making equipment more accessible across the region.
The initiative, which is managed by Menter Môn, is a collaboration between the Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire Food Partnerships. The aim is to tackle one of the key barriers facing horticultural producers across the region – the high cost of investing in specialist machinery.
By creating a shared pool of equipment, the programme reduces the need for individual businesses to make significant capital investments. The hope is that it will give farmers and growers the opportunity to trial new production methods, improve efficiency and expand their operations while reducing financial risk.
Speaking ahead of the show, Dafydd Gruffydd, Managing Director at Menter Môn, said:
“The North Wales Machinery Ring has been developed in direct response to the challenges that growers have told us they face. The Anglesey Show is an important opportunity for us to speak with farmers, growers and farming unions about how the initiative can work for them.
“We know that access to specialist equipment can be a real barrier for businesses looking to diversify or expand horticultural production, so being able to discuss the scheme face to face with the agricultural community is really valuable.
“By sharing machinery across the region, we can help growers reduce costs and trial new ways of working with greater confidence. Ultimately, this is about supporting more local food production and strengthening the sector in north Wales.”
The Machinery Ring is also seen as a way of encouraging farm diversification, improving the resilience of agrifood businesses and strengthening local food supply chains.
David Wylie, Project Manager at Menter Môn, added:
“The Anglesey Show gives us a great opportunity to put the Machinery Ring in front of the farming community and hear directly from growers about what they need from us and the scheme.
“We're looking forward to meeting farmers, growers and farming unions at the show, answering questions and building the relationships that will help shape how the Machinery Ring works in practice.”
The online booking platform will launch in the autumn, enabling farmers and growers to book specialist machinery as and when they need to.
