The organizers of Agritechnica Asia, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) and VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific, have announced they will launch two new events, located in Thailand and Myanmar, for the agricultural sector in South East Asia before the end of 2019. These new activities are part of the bold strategy for the Thailand-based Agritechnica Asia trade fair, to facilitate farming solutions to local farmers in this region.
The dedicated farming events, “Agritechnica Asia live – Field Demonstrations of Agricultural Machinery” will take place near Myanmar’s capital city of Naypyitaw on November 29 and 30, and “Agrifuture Conference & Exhibition – Prepare Yourself for Tomorrow's Agri-Business” is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 2 and 3.
“Agritechnica Asia based in Bangkok is a successful off-shoot of Agritechnica, which is the world’s largest agricultural machinery trade fair and is held in Germany every 2 years. Agritechnica Asia is now in its third edition and has already established itself as a leading platform in South East Asia for agricultural machinery solutions. These two new events in Thailand and Myanmar are similar to technology showcase road shows with specific and highly technical content brought directly to the farmers at their door step,” says Jens Kremer, Deputy Managing Director of DLG Service.
“They fulfil a need for more knowledge in a specific area such as rice cultivation or specific mechanization issues. Agritechnica Asia acts to bring this together,” adds Kremer.
“We are pleased that the cooperation signed 3 years ago between VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific and DLG is bearing fruit. We are working together to not only offer solutions to the farming sector but we are also tuning in to needs that are in some cases very local,” comments Heiko Stutzinger, Managing Director of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific.
New event in Myanmar – “Agritechnica Asia live”
The new Agritechnica Asia live event in Myanmar is expected to attract about 1,000 visitors from the area around its venue, a location also hosting a World Bank-funded Agricultural Development Support Project. Rice production will be central to the 2-day event, with co-partners that include the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) and the World Bank (WB). The country’s Agricultural Mechanisation Department (AMD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation will be the official host.
Like last year’s Mechanization Field Day, partnered by IRRI, and also held in Myanmar, the event is expected to attract farmers, machinery operators/owners, mechanization service providers, MRF members, researchers and technicians, and decision and policy makers. The program will feature a field demonstration and networking dinner on the first day and a seminar on the second day.
New event in Thailand – Agrifuture Conference & Exhibition
The new Agrifuture Conference & Exhibition event will be held at a venue in the city of Bangkok and is expected to attract about 1,200 attendees from across Asia-Pacific. The format is an international conference with accompanying side-exhibition and networking sessions. Farmers, machinery operators/owners/contractors, dealers, co-operatives, researchers and technicians, and decision and policy makers are among those expected to attend.
The first day of the event will include formal conference sessions on two topics, “Regional & global markets” and “Smart crop management & post-harvest technology”, while the focus on the second day is on “Mechanisation & Financing.” The exclusive exhibition taking place throughout the event is expected to feature about 30 exhibitors of disruptive technology for future farming.
DLG’s Katharina Staske, Project Manager of Agritechnica Asia, says the new events have been introduced to complement Agritechnica Asia, which takes place for the third time from May 7-9, 2020 in Bangkok.
“Along with our international farmers’ network, the DLG has expanded its relationship with farmers and expert organizations in South East Asia, and notably Thailand and Myanmar,” adds Staske. “It is through working with these organizations that we have come up with two new events that will focus on specific arable production areas that require targeted technical solutions.”
“These are exclusive events that bring a selected group of farmers together where knowledge acquisition is the main focus, and alongside we offer an exclusive platform for organisations to promote their products and services.”