VISITORS and exhibitors alike braved freezing cold weather to attend the Yorkshire Agricultural Machinery Show (YAMS) at York auction mart.

YAMS has grown significantly since the first show was held four years ago and the 2017 event attracted some 200 stands, showcasing a range of large and small equipment that attracted arable and livestock producers from all over the region.

Among the kit on display was the Vicon iXdrive, which represents the firm’s first venture into the self-propelled UK market. It combines Mazzoti hydrostatic four-wheel drive power, with a Claas cab and a 240HP Perkins engine.

Another crowd puller was the Manitou NewAg Telehandler, located on the Russell Group stand. It comes with a new, single-range stepless gear box and is available in four different model options. Complying with the latest engine emissions standards, it has benefited from a total redesign and comes with an extended warranty and telematics system.

The MF 5700 Global Series, which made its debut at LAMMA, was another focus of attention at YAMS, having been designed to suit the small-to-medium tractor range. The 100hp MF 5710 and the 110hp MF 5711 are intended as all-rounders and have the largest cab in their sector. Both are powered by a 4.4-litre, four-cylinder AGCO power engine.

Among the smaller equipment on display was Kelvin Cave’s new, single-phase KC Mini-Flaker mini cereal mill. Developed to suit small-scale farming or equestrian uses, it has a 2.2kW motor, with an output of about 0-5 tonnes/hour. The machine can handle as little as 25kgs at a time and will process any cereal or mixtures of cereals and pulses.

Meanwhile, LH Agro UK marked the event with the announcement that the company has been appointed as a distributor for the NORAC sprayer boom height control system, which is compatible with most sprayer models. It also launched a new contract hire scheme, aimed at making Topcon precision farming kit more affordable for producers.

Show organiser, Richard Tasker, explained that there had been no master plan, to hold a machinery show in Yorkshire.

"YAMS started because a local machinery dealership wanted some space in our car park, to show its tractors to potential customers," said Mr Tasker, who works for York Auction Centre. "Then it was suggested that another couple of other firms might join them, and it snowballed from there. There was nothing deliberate about it.

"Early February is a good time of year to hold a machinery show, as it is a relatively quiet period for most farmers. YAMS has also benefited since the LAMMA show moved 50 miles further south to its current site at Peterborough, as the extra distance has put off some farmers who live in the North of England."

The competition for the best indoor stand was won by Kuhn power harrow specialists, Andrew Guest, of Newark in Nottingham, while the best outdoor stand award went to local company, George Agar Agricultural Engineers, from Scarborough.