Tickets for Cereals 2015 have gone on sale this week offering visitors quick and easy access to the UK’s leading technical arable event when the gates open in just 11 weeks’ time.

Buying tickets online in advance means visitors will avoid queuing at entrances, so they can spend more time catching up with the latest arable, technical, machinery and business advice, says event director Jon Day of Haymarket Exhibitions.

Over 500 exhibitors are expected to show their wares to more than 25,000 visitors on 10-11 June at Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire. “Visitors will be able to access all the key information they’ve come to expect at Cereals and a lot more besides,” says Mr Day.

“Unlike other events, Cereals takes place where arable farmers go about their business – in the field. It provides an unrivalled stage for the latest technology, agronomy and machinery, where visitors can assess performance in real life – in crop plots, working demonstrations and Syngenta’s Sprays and Sprayers arena.

“There are also plenty of opportunities to catch up with the latest economic trends and political thinking that increasingly influence the farming sector. We will have a new government installed when Cereals takes place. We hope to welcome senior representatives from the new DEFRA team to the event, as we have done in recent years, to discover a little more about how agriculture will feature politically over the next five years.”

Recently introduced initiatives that proved a hit with visitors return. A CPD points trail will offer a clutch of BASIS and NRoSO points, reflecting the event’s importance within the industry.

The Inspire Pavilion, sponsored by De Lacy Executive, Massey Ferguson and McDonald’s, will highlight the wealth of career opportunities for young people in farming and associated industries.

A key discussion point will be the winning machines in the International Machinery Manufacturers’ Awards, a scheme launched last year to recognise machines that deliver exceptional innovation, effectiveness and value. All will feature on a special stand at the event.

The technical seminars also return but in a new format, featuring a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. This will allow visitors to hear about and discuss the latest topics, while leaving more time to take in trade stands and other event features.

Other key features include:

• Crop plots – an opportunity to see the latest varieties and agronomy in the flesh.
• Machinery – most leading manufacturers will be represented, offering the perfect shop window for new kit.
• Arable Conference in partnership with The Oxford Farming Conference – three debates headlined by industry-leading farmers, scientists, policymakers and environmentalists. 
• Working demonstrations – cultivations, drills and guidance systems being put through their paces.
• Sprays & Sprayers – innovations, application technology plus 50 of the latest sprayers in action in Syngenta’s Sprays and Sprayers arena.
• Renewables – showcasing the wide range of opportunities available from renewable energy, renewable fuels and other non-food crops.
• Post-harvest technology – the place to re-assess drying and storage needs to maintain crops in the best condition.
• Business area – expert information from rural consultants, banks, and the IT sector to help drive business profitability.

HSBC returns as the Cereals event principal sponsor. Allan Wilkinson, head of agriculture at the bank, says Cereals 2015 will be as much about the detail as the big picture.

“The debates will include an up-to-the minute look at the latest developments in the Basic Payment Scheme process and other key topics.

“At the same time, by the second week of June we will be some five weeks into a new government, and the new ministerial team will get its first outing in front of the sector.

“We will also need to keep abreast of matters global - growing conditions and weather patterns around the world and their impact on prices,” says Mr Wilkinson.

“Meanwhile on the farm, for most producers the prospect of lacklustre prices and a strengthening sterling does inevitably bring attention to the little differences in technique and systems that, when added together, could make the difference between breakeven and a small loss.  Much to see, lots to listen to, and plenty to seek counsel from.”

Tickets are available at www.cerealsevent.co.uk/Content/Tickets and cost £24 for an adult and £20 for a student, including VAT. E-tickets can be printed out at home and brought on the day to be scanned at the entrance. Group discounts are available for advance bookings.

Cereals 2015 takes place on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th June, at Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire. Further information at www.cerealsevent.co.uk