April 2020 - 20

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Agritechnica is a show to behold
German ag show draws 450,000 people a year
By Melanie Epp
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
E
very two years, some 450,000
people visit Hanover, Germany
to check out Agritechnica, the
world's largest trade fair for agricultural
machinery. And while in the past it
was seen as a trade fair for European
farmers that sentiment has changed
in the past few editions. Increasingly,
visitors are travelling from all corners
of the globe, and it's no wonder.
Agritechnica showcases a magnificent
array of technology and is now known
as the place to launch new innovations.
PREPARING YOUR VISIT
I've visited Agritechnica as an
agricultural journalist three times.
On my first visit in 2015, I found
myself overwhelmed and woefully
underprepared. I'm not sure how many
vendors were present then, but there
were 2,820 exhibitors spread out over
26 halls at Agritechnica 2019. Each hall
is roughly the size of a football field,
which makes for a lot of walking. The
footwear I'd selected for the week was
entirely inappropriate. That first year, I
lost half a day just trying to figure out
where everything was located. Now, I'm
practically a seasoned pro and arrive
at the event armed with comfortable
running shoes, a map and a hall-by-hall
plan. There's a lot to see.
This year, with its guiding theme
" Global Farming - Local Responsibility, "
Agritechnica drew 450,000 visitors,
130,000 of whom were from outside of
Germany. International visitors came
from 152 countries, but mostly from the
Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Italy
and Russia. Sizeable groups also came
from France, the United Kingdom, and
Switzerland. The trade fair also saw
above-average growth from the United
States, Russia, Italy, Poland and Ukraine.
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Spudman.com
ROPA was honored with two innovation awards for its potato production technologies, one of
which was shared with Spudnik, during Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany. Photo: Melanie Epp
This year, there was increasing interest
from international politicians as well, as
ministers and trade delegations from
around the world gathered at the trade
fair to discuss the future of agriculture.
WHAT YOU MISSED
Throughout the 26 halls, exhibitors
presented innovative solutions that
address top-of-mind issues, such as
sustainable energy consumption and
labor shortages. Of them, two - halls
24 and 25 - were devoted entirely to
potato and beet production. Everything
from storage and ventilation equipment
to machinery for harvest and handling
was on display.
Agricultural machinery manufacturers
use the global attraction to launch new
innovations, submitting many for judging
of the highly coveted gold and silver
innovation awards. This year, two potato
innovations received silver awards. The
first went to ROPA for its potato squeezer.
Large numbers of volunteer potatoes
pose a complex problem in the
subsequent growing season, especially
as frost periods become increasingly
scarce in warming winters. The potato
squeezer is the first system to rely on
two hydraulically driven tires that are
driven at two different speeds, effectively
squeezing potatoes as they pass between
them. The innovation damages tubers
that are then sorted out by pickers or
the machine, thereby minimizing the
potential for survival and growth.
The second innovation to win a silver
award was presented to ROPA and
Grimme (Spudnik) together. It was for
the R-Connect Monitor and SmartView,
technology that monitors the cleaning
and sorting processes on potato
harvesters that also involves the pickers
and the operator who use and interact
via the system. R-Connect is an internet
porthole that offers a farm management
and logistics platform. The two products
combined represent a first step towards
fully automated harvester setups.
The other halls focused on everything
from tractors and combines to

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April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020