New agricultural machinery events in Thailand and Myanmar have equipped farmers with technical knowledge for future farm practices
The joint DLG and VNU events held 2019 offered machinery demonstrations, expert know-how, farm visits and international networking
Frankfurt/Main, Germany, 10th February, 2020 – At two newly launched farm events in Southeast Asia, “Agritechnica Asia Live” in Myanmar on 29th and 30th November 2019 and the “Agrifuture Conference & Exhibition” in Thailand on 2nd-3rd December 2019, more than 3,000 farm professionals gained access to a wealth of crop production expertise shared by renowned arable agronomists, engineers and companies. Supported separately by the agricultural ministries of Thailand and Myanmar and expert organizations from the region, the two events, which premiered within a week of each other, made a significant contribution to knowledge, garnering praise from the local farming partners and participating companies alike.
The Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation expressed great satisfaction that such an event had been held for the first time in the country. “The event Agritechnica Asia Live was a first for our country and for our agricultural sector,” said U Soe Hlain, Director General of the ministry’s Agricultural Mechanisation Department. “Our farmers could get an overview of the machines from both local and international companies, and increase their knowledge of new technology, which is one of our objectives in Myanmar. For this to happen they need a technology update and this is what Agritechnica Asia Live offered.”
The DLG and VNU, together with their partners, selected solutions that were specifically tailored to local farmers’ immediate and future needs.
Myanmar: Agritechnica Asia Live
The field day event “Agritechnica Asia Live – Field Demonstrations of Agricultural Machinery” exceeded all expectations, with 3,000 farmers, mechanisation service providers, and governmental extension workers turning up, more than three times the original estimate. The machinery demonstrations presented an array of technology in action, complemented by conference presentations on technical yet practical farming topics, focusing on the area of tillage, harvesting, sustainability and water management with regards to rice and corn cultivation.
Rice harvesting and soil levelling were but two topics that attracted the farmers’ attention (see: https://agritechnica-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGRITECHNICA-ASIA-live_Myanmar_Seminar-Program_Nov-30_3.pdf). The support of all partners played a key role in selecting exactly the right topics for farmers in Myanmar. These included the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) and the World Bank (WB). The Agricultural Mechanisation Department (AMD) of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation was the official host.
Thailand: Agrifuture Conference & Exhibition
“Prepare Yourself for Tomorrow’s Agri-Business” was the title of an exclusive event held in Bangkok on 2nd and 3rd December 2019 aimed at farming experts from both Thailand and countries with advanced technical solutions for that region. From a novel sensor start-up solution by an Israeli company to health and nutrition advice, along with vertical farming know-how, the event was highly technical as well as international, with the 300 attendees originating from 21 countries. Financial advice was also offered to local farmers, with suitable investment models presented. Working with the organisers DLG and VNU to realise this new event were innovation partner Kubota and sponsors AGCO, APV, Bauer, Gessner, Syngenta and SV Group. The comprehensive programme (see: https://agritechnica-asia.com/agrifuture-conference/) included 29 speakers taking part in a range of presentations and workshops followed by a field visit of Kubota’s and SV Group’s demo farm.
Dr. Wolfgang H. Pfeiffer, who is the director responsible for both Asia and R&D at the U.S.-based HarvestPlus Program, USA, said he was pleased with how his keynote presentation, “Catalysing biofortified food systems with partners in supply chain and market development”, had been received.
“Together with the other sessions, we provided quite a complete picture of opportunities in agriculture in the future and also about the needs and challenges in the region,” he added.
“In the next five years we definitely have to intensify production because there is a larger demand for food. But this must be done sustainably, with a lower environmental food-print and more efficiency, both in terms of using new technologies and increasing the efficiency of production factors and inputs,” commented Dr. Pfeiffer.
Coming next: Agritechnica Asia 2020
The agricultural machinery exhibition Agritechnica Asia will take place for the third time from 7th to 9th May 2020 in Bangkok. This will offer the sector in the region a comprehensive display of machinery suitable for efficient and effective crop production. Agritechnica Asia will again benefit from the co-location of Horti Asia and Systems & Components Asia. With the two new exclusive events in Myanmar and Thailand at the end of 2019, the organisers of Agritechnica Asia, DLG and VNU, have now expanded their relationship with farmers and dealers in Southeast Asia.
“It was through working with these farmers that we were prompted to offer these two additional events that focused on specific production areas that require targeted technical solutions,” said Katharina Staske, project director of Agritechnica Asia. “These events have more than lived up to expectations, and we look forward to developing the formats to make sure farmers in the region benefit from the knowledge that the DLG and its partners are able to offer.”
The DLG is a politically independent, non-profit organisation promoting technical and scientific progress in the food and farming sectors. The organisation was founded to promote knowledge sharing, and that remains at the centre of the DLG’s activities today with the events in Thailand and Myanmar being typical examples. DLG has grown to become one of the leading organisations in the fields of agriculture, agribusiness, and food production and manufacturing. Membership, which is open to individuals, companies and institutions committed to these activities, now numbers more than 30,000 worldwide.
More information on the DLG is available online at: www.dlg.com
Information on Agritechnica Asia 2020 can be found at: www.agritechnica-asia.com
Media contact (Europe):
Malene Conlong
Tel: +49 6924788237
Email: M.conlong@dlg.org
Media contact (Asia):
Saengtip Techapatiphandee
Tel: +662 111 6611
Email: saengtip@vnuasiapacific.com
