Hundreds of farmers from across the country gathered in a Norfolk field to see the latest hi-tech sugar beet harvesters in action.
Machines valued up to £570,000 were on show at the working demonstration day at Little Witchingham, hosted by J Riley Beet Harvesters.
Around 500 visitors travelled from as far afield as North Yorkshire, Somerset, Leicestershire and Shropshire to see new innovations from Dutch manufacturer Vervaet.
It was the first time in three years that dealers at J Riley had been able to hold the demo, as the biennial event was cancelled last year due to Covid restrictions.
In the intervening period, while the pandemic took its toll, East Anglia's sugar beet sector suffered a terrible 2020/21 season with yields ravaged by extreme weather and crop viruses, while low prices prompted some farmers to cut their acreage or quit the sector.
But despite all of this, demand remains strong for top-end machinery, said Jeremy Riley, managing director of J Riley Beet Harvesters.
"We are very happy with the turnout, and we are talking to a lot of people about new machines," he said.
"There are people coming down who are nearly finished their own lifting, who are talking about what they are going to purchase this year.
"They are a lot of money, but a lot of people are reinvesting and want to keep up with the new technology."
New technology on show at the working demo included a UK debut for Vervaet Connect, the manufacturer’s new telematics system.
On-board sensors collect machine performance and operating data which is automatically transmitted to a webserver and displayed through a new online portal.
The data includes real-time tracking of the machine, operational status such as speed, engine power usage, fuel consumption and hectares worked, error alerts, yield mapping and harvest data.
"It enables you to get more information from the machine about what's going on, to know what you are lifting, what tonnage, what area," said Mr Riley. "It is a modern technology to make the job simpler.
"What the manufacturer is trying to do is make the machine not just efficient, but more cost effective, looking at things like fuel consumption, and wear and tear on the machine to bring those things down."
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