Just 2 weeks left to nominate your most valued on-farm machine in the RASEs re-launched Machinery Equipment Award

The Royal Agricultural Society of England has re-launched its Machinery Equipment Award – one of the oldest-established and best-known farm machinery awards in the world to give farmers and contractors the opportunity to recognise the machine or equipment which is most valued by their business.

Historically, the Societys Machinery Award Scheme involved manufacturers nominating their machines which were then judged on farm by a team of farmers and engineers. The award has always given farmers and contractors a chance to hear other farmers views on key machines, helping their own buying decisions and encouraging good design and manufacturing excellence among machinery and equipment makers.

RASE Chief Executive Brian Warren says: The Societys Machinery Award has always been valued by the industry as an independent, farmer-judged competition. With changes for 2011 the RASE hopes the award will become even more popular and relevant to todays farmers. Whether its the trusted workhorse tractor, the latest piece of GPS technology or a new automated milking machine, we want farmers to vote for their most valued piece of kit.

The new-look award will see farmers and contractors nominating their kit in one or more of the six categories and rating their entry against certain criteria. The most nominated pieces of machinery or equipment in each category will then be automatically selected as a finalist with an on farm follow-up visit by the panel of judges.

The highest rated machine by both farmers and the judges will be crowned the winner of the RASE 2011 Machinery Equipment Award, which will be announced at the Grassland & Muck event on 18-19 May at Stoneleigh Park.

To nominate, please visit http://www.fwi.co.uk/landing-page/Machinery/rase-award/

• The Royal Agricultural Society of England, play a leading role in the development of British agriculture and a vibrant rural economy through the uptake of good science, the promotion of best practice. www.rase.org.uk