Episode 41

Wither BAGMA Now? with Jonathan Swift

Can two trade associations representing companies on different sides of the fence, really operate as one?

Reflecting on the news that the manufacturers trade association AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) have bought BAGMA (British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association) representing sales and service dealers, I talk to former BAGMA Director General Jonathan Swift who was also responsible for bringing BAGMA into the British Hardware Federation (now BIRA) when he was BHF DG.

There has long been talk of a joint body, even back more than 40 years when Jonathan was running BAGMA at the time that his father Dean Swift was Director General of the AEA. Many of these early discussions took place over Sunday lunch!

Jonathan reflects on some of the issues faced by BAGMA including improved warranty arrangements, dealer contracts, code of practice, all of which provoked lively discussion.

He says "I have a concern that one association should own the other when it would be better that it becomes something of an industry G7 with absolute parity between both parties"

Episode is 35 minutes

Agricultural Engineers Association

British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association

About the Podcast

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INSIDE AGRI-TURF
The farm and grass machinery business

About your host

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Chris Biddle

Chris is an experienced journalist specialising in the farm and grass machinery market. He has worked for a major tractor manufacturer and been a managing director of a farm and grass machinery dealership in the West Country.
In 1988, he launched trade magazine, Service Dealer followed by TurfPro in 1998, selling both titles to Land Power Publications in 2015.
He was editor of Landwards, the professional journal of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) from 2008 until 2019 and is the recipient of the 2020 IAgrE Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Land-Based industry.
Chris lives in Salisbury with his wife Trish, and is an avid cricket fan and member of the MCC for over 55 years.