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The DLG trade fairs “EuroTier / EnergyDecentral 2021 digital” was launched yesterday. From 9 to 12 February, more than 1,200 exhibitors will be presenting their products and services, in real time, via video technology to attending visitors from all over the world. The organizer DLG (German Agricultural Society) has put together a technical program with nine parallel online video channels as well as more than 300 interactive events that address a wide range of current and future topics of the global livestock industry. Visitors can participate interactively in many talk shows and discussion events.
In her opening speech, German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, encouraged farmers in Germany to participate in the developments in agriculture and animal husbandry.
“...I'm delighted that the ‘Animal Welfare Award’ is being presented for innovations that support farming practices that improve animal welfare. The industry is undergoing radical change. However, this can only be successful and sustainable if this is done in a proportionate manner with a view to the long-term perspectives for livestock farmers in our country. Indeed, should the production leave Germany, nothing would be gained – quite the opposite in fact. Neither environmental nor animal welfare issues can be solved by exporting them. That's why I created the Kompetenznetzwerk Nutztierhaltung [Translated ‘Network for improvements in animal husbandry’] - the necessary restructuring of animal husbandry can only succeed if we work together. These are issues that also occupy EuroTier," added Klöckner.
Minister Klöckner added that the industry is also being supported in the course of these necessary changes: in the implementation of the ban on piglet castration without anaesthesia and in the regulation of farrowing crates for sows. Last year, for example, it launched a new investment support program worth 300 million euros for animal housing conversion. Another campaign is the fight against African Swine Fever. Klöckner stressed that it was imperative to prevent the disease from entering domestic pig populations. The federal and state governments are working on this as a matter of priority.
Hubertus Paetow, President of the DLG formulated an important finding for the industry: Animal husbandry in Germany and Europe will continue to look different in the future than in many other regions of the world. Higher demands on animal welfare and sustainability require different technical concepts. This poses significant challenges for manufacturers and farmers alike. However, it also presents opportunities for those, who recognise the trends early on and implement them efficiently.
Close cooperation between all stakeholders is required in order to communicate the message of sustainable production of animal products throughout the entire chain, as is the focus of the EuroTier theme: "Farming in the food chain".
A ticket, which is valid for multiple visits over four days, is available for purchase online. English or German, or both, will be the working languages of these events. The complete technical program can be found under "Event Calendar" here.
February 10, 2021 - DLG
