The coronavirus pandemic has not only resulted in the postponement or cancellation of popular UK and Irish farm machinery shows, such as Cereals, Grass & Muck, Royal Highland and Irish Ploughing, but also all major European events.
Potato Europe, which this year was due to take place in France (September 2-3) has gone. Other casualties include the Danish Agromek, German EuroTier, Italian EIMA and French SIMA, all four of which were planned to have taken place this November.
It is ironic that after all the recent fuss about SIMA moving to November that the French event has been forced to return to the traditional timing of February, the next show planned for February 21-25, 2021. Still keen to move to the late autumn, the organisers inform us that the following SIMA, the 100th, will take place from October 30 to November 3, 2022.
EIMA was scheduled to have taken place from November 11-15 this year, but will now take place from February 3-7, 2021. FederUnacoma, the organisers of the Italian event, assures us that the next one will return to a traditional slot at the Bologna fairgrounds in November 2022.
The EuroTier livestock machinery exhibition was due to have taken place at the Hannover exhibition grounds from November 17-20, 2020. The German Agricultural Society (DLG), the organiser of the event, has just informed us that it will now not take place until February 9-12, 2021.
The Danish Agromek, also planned for November, has also been put back to the traditional month of January, the next one planned for January 19-22, 2021.
Things could still change, but as things currently stand all the major European events, Agritechnica, Agromek, EIMA, EuroTier and SIMA, are all timed to take place within a period of 10 months. 2021 is going to be a busy year for farm machinery manufacturers!
