The second edition of the AGRITECHNICA ASIA exhibition, taking place next year in Thailand, is guaranteed to include a wide range of farming solutions that are directly relevant to farms in Asia-Pacific. Scheduled just nine months after the original and world-renowned AGRITECHNICA exhibition in Hanover, Germany, which will present over 300 world premieres of farm machinery innovations later this year, AGRITECHNICA ASIA will offer the ideal opportunity for agricultural experts throughout the region to preview the latest equipment appropriate to their businesses.
The timing of AGRITECHNICA ASIA, taking place so soon after AGRITECHNICA in Hanover, means that Asian farming experts will be able to see agricultural machinery and trends that are worldclass.
“Deciding the optimal timing of any exhibition is of crucial importance, and the biannual timing of AGRITECHNICA ASIA has been chosen to meet the needs of demanding farmers in Asia, where farm mechanization is occurring at one of the fastest rates in the world,” says Jens-Martin Kremer, Member of the Executive Board and Director of Business Development of DLG Service GmbH. DLG (the German Agricultural Society) is the organizer of Agritechnica.
“As organizer of more than 30 agricultural shows all around the world, we continually engage with agricultural experts and even with other exhibition organizers, in the different countries where we operate, to ensure the optimal timing for presenting farming solutions to the local markets.
“This is also the case in Asia where so many complex factors are involved in timing an exhibition optimally. We know exhibitors are developing very specific solutions for Asian crop farmers and time their product launches with exhibitions. This new schedule is expected to benefit companies and visiting farmers alike,” adds Kremer.
High economic growth
The market for food in Asia is developing quickly thanks to the high economic growth being experienced in the region’s economies, and this will have an impact on both the composition and the level of food consumption. Booming economies in countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea suggest the region’s ascendancy in the global economy is likely to continue, while in Thailand itself the government is promoting the ‘Thailand 4.0’ economic development model to transform the country into a value-based economy with the aim of becoming a high-income nation.
These factors mean the timing is right for Asia to transform its agricultural production systems to keep up with the world’s fast-changing business and technological landscapes, so it is hardly surprising that Asia’s agricultural businesses are experiencing such a fast rate of farm mechanization.
“The DLG and VNU Exhibitions are firm believers that knowledge and innovation are vital to help meet the urgent need for mechanized solutions that support the development of modern crop production techniques. The agricultural market in Asia-Pacific and the successful premiere of AGRITECHNICA ASIA shows a clear need for a high-quality, international business platform for agricultural experts,” says Nino Gruettke, Managing Director of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific.
Innovation hub and roadshows
While the focus at AGRITECHNICA in Europe is on innovations related to the cultivation of cereals and maize, at AGRITECHNICA ASIA visitors are also interested in solutions for the cultivation of rice, cassava and sugar cane.
“Farming in Asia-Pacific has specific machinery requirements for crop production, and AGRITECHNICA ASIA targets these by presenting solutions that are immediately available to address a range of problems,” says Katharina Staske, Project Manager of AGRITECHNICA ASIA. “And a highlight at AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2018 will be a new innovations award scheme that will identify solutions that meet local farming needs in an innovative way.”
In a bid to support local farm development, DLG and VNU Exhibitions have also planned Farmer’s Best Practice Events in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia that will address the challenges faced by the agricultural sector in these countries.
Top international decision-makers
The first AGRITECHNICA ASIA, which premiered in 2017, proved an immediate success, with 89 exhibitors presenting a broad range of solutions to some 8,200 high-quality trade visitors. The event gave international agricultural machinery manufacturers the opportunity to meet up with top decision-makers in Asia. This was achieved through the exhibition’s hosted-buyer program, which covered the travel expenses of key farm buyers in the region to ensure a high level of decision-makers and purchasing decisions at the event.
This initiative resulted in 50% of the visitors at AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2017 holding a managerial position and 85% being directly involved in purchasing and procurement decisions. In 2018, the hosted-buyer program will be expanded to further establish a central forum for decision-makers and experts from the fields of farming and agricultural technology.
New entrants to the Asian market, as well as companies already established in the region, will again have the possibility to meet farmers, dealers and potential suppliers from all over the Asia-Pacific region. Bangkok is seen as the international hub in Southeast Asia due to its smooth entry regulations and good international accessibility. This year’s AGRITECHNICA ASIA saw 32% of the visitors come from countries outside Thailand, including Malaysia, India, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Myanmar.
The Asian exhibition for smart horticultural and floricultural technology - Horti ASIA - and for agricultural machinery - AGRITECHNICA ASIA - are both co-located and co-scheduled to offer a complete exhibition platform in the area of machinery for plant production.