If you’re looking to see the latest farm machinery from the big manufacturers and smaller specialists alike, next month’s Sima show in Paris is the place to be.

The show runs from 22-26 February and has 1,750 exhibitors from 40 countries showing their wares in an indoor area of 27ha. Roughly two-thirds of the 248,800 visitors who attended the last show in 2013 were farmers and they came from 145 countries in all.

See also: 5 of the cleverest machines at Sima

This year’s gold and silver medals continue the high-tech flavour set in 2013. So look out for more robotic livestock feeding systems, telematics and data management, more GPS cleverness and ever-more-precise spraying and fertiliser spreading equipment.

There will also be international meetings and workshops (in English) on subjects that range from ag technicians and contractors to Isobus. You can find details on the Sima website.

Useful information

Dates

Sima runs from 22-26 February 2015 and is wholly about farm machinery. However, the Simagena livestock show takes place in the same exhibition complex, with 300 livestock breeders and 400 cows attending.

Want to see more livestock and get stuck into a food hall or two? You can hop on a free shuttle bus to take you to the Salon International de l’Agriculture (SIA), which takes place from 21 February to 1 March. The trip normally takes 45 minutes but it can stretch to two hours if you hit the rush-hour.

You’ll be able to see 4,000 animals on show, including cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and horses. There’s a big emphasis on regional food, too, which has always appealed to British farmers.

Getting there

The Sima and Simagena shows take place at the Parc D’Expositions, Villepinte, 15 miles north of central Paris. SIA takes place at the Porte de Versailles exhibition in south-west Paris and is pretty central.

Air If you’re quick you could get an easyJet flight from Luton Airport to Charles de Gaulle for about £70, but prices will rise as you get nearer to the day.

Train A return ticket on Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord costs about £100 right now.

Car Using the Eurotunnel, you can get from Kent to Paris in about two hours.

Accommodation

The Sima show organisers have two official UK partners to organise trips, Stita (01242 515 712) and Fieldfarmtours (01636 616 060). Equally, you can book your own accommodation online or direct with any hotel in Paris that takes your fancy. RER trains get you from central Paris to Villepinte in about 30 minutes.

Opening times

Sima and Simagena run from 8.30am to 6pm. SIA opens from 9am to 7pm.

Entry costs

Sima UK farmers get in free. Click on the Sima website and enter the code IUK15 in the box

SIA Admission is free for farmers from the UK, but you have to show a business card or letter heading. Go to international door – V

For more info contact mathilde@promosalons.co.uk