- Location
- Hannover, Germany
New International Farmers’ Day UK - The prospect of Brexit leaves UK farmers seeking ways to increase production efficiency to compete on world markets
Representatives from the organiser of Agritechnica, the DLG (German Agricultural Society), were at Cereals 2019 to inform farmers from the United Kingdom (UK) about what they can see when this year’s trade fair takes place in November. The DLG team took a stand space at the event at Boothby Graffoe, in Lincolnshire, on 12th and 13th June, as the organisation continues to forge closer ties with UK agriculture.
A new International Farmers’ Day focusing on the UK is planned - 14th November 2019
Farmers and contractors from the UK are important to Agritechnica, and the increasing numbers travelling to Hanover, Germany, for the event mean the country is now one of the top 10 best represented in terms of both visitor and exhibitor numbers. Taking part at Cereals 2019 will give the DLG the chance to meet farmers and contractors from the UK who are planning to invest in technologies to give their businesses a long-term advantage, and to explain the benefits of visiting Hanover’s Exhibition Grounds in November this year.
The UK is currently the fifth largest country in the European Union (EU) in terms of agricultural output, with 60 percent of revenue from livestock production and 40 percent from crop production. Both sectors are already highly mechanised, and the average farm size of 95ha – which has increased from 56ha in 2005 – shows the degree of consolidation that has occurred in recent years. However, the prospect of Brexit (the UK leaving the EU), has refocussed farmers attention on efficiency as they deal with the prospect of competing on the global market.
Appropriately this year’s guiding theme of Agritechnica, “Global Farming – Local Responsibility”, which promotes a sustainable future for agriculture, where sufficient food is produced for a growing world population while conserving natural resources. This can only be achieved by using the latest innovative, smart technologies – and UK farmers will be able to see the most up-to-date technology on show at Hanover later this year.
Also sure to be of interest to UK farmers will be the new International Farmers’ Day being launched at Agritechnica 2019 as a platform on which farmers, companies and organisations from agricultural regions around the world can exchange knowledge and experience, and network with each other. This year, the DLG has chosen to focus on the UK and France. The initiative will highlight the challenges faced by UK farming, and the steps taken to tackle them, to help provide valuable lessons for farmers around the world.
“Hot topics such as Brexit, reform of the CAP, management of resistances and the use of glyphosate have inspired the DLG (German Agricultural Society) to focus on two key players of the ag sector in Europe: UK and France.
“We believe that Agritechnica’s innovations on display as well as the vast technical programme can inspire farmers around the world to cope with future challenges,” said Ulrike Schmidt-Machinek, project manager for the International Farmers’ Day.
“From reaction on climate extremes, weed control to precision farming, we want to highlight the ways UK farmers react to the challenges they face, and how they are planning their future technology needs.”
International Farmers’ Day takes place on Thursday, 14th November, and will include a full programme of expert presentations about UK and French farming. Besides multiple forum sessions, this year’s Ag Machinery International Conference will also focus on France and UK. Under the title “The European Union in the (post)Brexit era- Challenges for farmers in Europe”, the organizers DLG and VDMA have invited leading farmers from the UK and France, alongside other experts, to share their view of future.
The whole technical programme of the International Farmers’ Day is elaborated in partnership with relevant professional associations in UK.
The International Farmers’ Day event coincides with the well-established International Young Farmers Day. Hailed as an occasion when young entrepreneurial and engineering spirit comes to the fore, the choice of this day for a closer look at the vibrant agricultural industries of the UK and France is particularly apt.
Agritechnica 2019 takes place at Hanover’s Exhibition Grounds, Germany, from 10th to 16th November (with special preview days on 10th and 11th November). Two years ago, this prestigious event attracted a record attendance of 458,000, including 110,000 international visitors from 128 countries.
Field Farm Tours Ltd, Agritechnica’s official travel partner in UK,was also present at the stand to promote their travel package to Agritechnica for UK visitors.
www.fieldfarmtours.co.uk/shows-and-events/178/agritechnica/