Farmers and growers at the Anglesey Show are being invited to learn more about a new shared machinery scheme.

The North Wales Machinery Ring aims to give farmers and growers in the region shared access to specialist horticultural machinery, making equipment more accessible.

Menter Môn, which is managing the scheme, says it will tackle the high cost of investing in specialist machinery, one of the key barriers facing horticultural producers.

Equipment will be available through an online booking platform, with machinery shared between farms and growers in the region.

Dafydd Gruffydd, managing director, said: "The North Wales Machinery Ring has been developed in direct response to the challenges that growers have told us they face."

"The Anglesey Show is an important opportunity for us to speak with farmers, growers and farming unions about how the initiative can work for them."

"We know that access to specialist equipment can be a real barrier for businesses looking to diversify or expand horticultural production, so being able to discuss the scheme face to face with the agricultural community is really valuable."

"By sharing machinery across the region, we can help growers reduce costs and trial new ways of working with greater confidence. Ultimately, this is about supporting more local food production and strengthening the sector in North Wales."

The machinery ring is a collaboration between local food partnerships in Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire.

By creating a shared pool of equipment and reducing the need for individual firms to buy their own, it's hoped it will give farmers and growers the chance to trial new production methods, improve efficiency and expand their operations while reducing financial risk.

It's also seen as a way of encouraging farm diversification, improving the resilience of agrifood businesses and strengthening local food supply chains.

David Wylie, project manager at Menter Môn, added: "The Anglesey Show gives us a great opportunity to put the machinery ring in front of the farming community and hear directly from growers about what they need from us and the scheme."

"We’re looking forward to meeting farmers, growers and farming unions at the show, answering questions and building the relationships that will help shape how the machinery ring works in practice."

The online booking platform will be launched in the autumn.