One of the main farm machinery shows in the UK – LAMMA – has been postponed due to concerns over Covid-19.
The event, which was due to take place on January 11 and 12 2022 at the NEC in Birmingham, will now take place on May 4-5, 2022.
Organisers say all plans for the event, which was also cancelled in January this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, will be carried over to May when the show is expected to welcome more than 600 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees.
LAMMA event manager, Kate Welsh, said she was saddened to be making the announcement of a date change.
“We have been hard at work planning for the 40th anniversary edition of LAMMA, and were very much looking forward to bringing the agricultural industry together,” said Ms Welsh.
“The past few years have been challenging for the farming community, and we had hoped LAMMA in January would be a great way to start off the New Year and spur momentum in the industry.”
She added: “However, after listening to you, and sharing your concerns about the Covid situation, we believe moving the show to the spring will provide the best opportunity for us to meet face-to-face and deliver on the objectives of both our exhibitors and visitors.”
Ms Welsh said visitor registration for the event will remain open and there is no need for people who have registered for the January dates to register again.
News of LAMMA’s date change follows an update to guidance for farmers and crofters visiting livestock markets.
New guidance from the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) urges farmers to take a lateral flow test prior to attending a livestock mart and to adhere to social distancing measures which are being reintroduced at markets.
The organisation says marts will also reintroduce a ban on under 16s attending sales, and only those wishing to conduct business are permitted to enter the live sales ring.