Live demonstrations of agricultural machinery from local and international manufacturers – programme with seminars and guided tours targeting key decision-makers from the public and private sectors – on 29 and 30 November, near Naypyitaw, Myanmar

Frankfurt/Main, Germany, November 2019 – For the first time, DLG will be bringing Agritechnica Asia out of the exhibition halls and onto the field. Together with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific, as well as professional partners such as the World Bank and the Myanmar Rice Federation, the first edition of ”Agritechnica Asia live – Field Demonstrations of Agricultural Machinery” will take place near Naypyitaw in Myanmar from 29 to 30 November 2019. The event is officially hosted by the Agricultural Mechanization Department of Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. Besides the live demonstrations of agricultural machinery, the premiere will present a comprehensive programme of seminars and guided tours on current issues concerning the regional agriculture.

The new Agritechnica Asia live event in Myanmar is expected to attract around 1,500 farmers, machinery operators and owners, mechanization service providers, agricultural associations, researchers and technicians, as well as decision- and policymakers. Rice production will be a key focus at the two-day event. More than 40 brands such as Claas, Kubota, Yanmar, New Holland, Massey Ferguson and Mahindra will demonstrate their agricultural machinery live on an area of 10 ha – from soil preparation to harvesting.

“In recent years Myanmar’s agriculture has been growing significantly. Mechanization will play a major role in supporting this growth and make production sustainable. Claas machinery, introduced by our exclusive partner Octagon International Services, will contribute to this mechanization and increase the productivity of Myanmar’s agriculture. The CLAAS ARION 430 with 115-130 horsepower, as well as the CROPTIGER 40 multi-crop combine harvesters were introduced to the market in 2015 and have been available since then. The proven performance of the Claas product range in the Myanmar market demonstrates the capability of modern agricultural machines. Claas is proud to contribute to the sustainable development of Myanmar’s agriculture”, says Mr. Darian Schenk, Regional Manager Asia, Claas Regional Center South East Asia Ltd. emphasizing the importance of the new event concept for the development of the agricultural sector in Myanmar.

Programme with seminars and guided tours

In a range of seminars on the second day of Agritechnica Asia live, experts and practitioners will discuss the latest developments in crop production and post-harvest technologies. The programme, targeting key decision-makers from the public and private sectors, will focus on mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture. The topics addressed are land preparation, seeding, irrigation technology, harvesting, by-product management, and precision agriculture, as well as post-harvest topics such as drying and storage, or milling and rice quality. Guided Tours at the demo site and networking sessions will complement the programme.

“Driven by labor shortage and intensification of rice production, the need to mechanize the rice-based cropping systems and to upgrade rice value chains in Myanmar is huge. Agritechnica Asia live will provide opportunities for producers, processors, machinery contract service providers and value chain actors to learn about state-of-the-art machinery and post-harvest equipment that will make agricultural production more efficient, reduce costs, provide value-adding opportunities and lead to more sustainable production systems”, says Martin Gummert, Senior Scientist, Leader of the Mechanization and Postharvest Cluster, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), emphasizing the relevance of the information programme at Agritechnica Asia.

DLG promotes technical and scientific progress in the food and farming sectors

The DLG is a politically independent, non-profit organisation promoting technical and scientific progress and knowledge transfer in the food and farming sectors. It was founded in 1885 by engineer, writer and visionary Max Eyth, who was convinced that the industrial revolution, and mechanisation in particular, would have a major impact on the agricultural sector. Eyth’s ideas remain at the centre of the DLG’s activities to this day. The new Agritechnica Asia live event not only meets the DLG’s objectives of transferring knowledge across borders, but is in line with the stated goal of the Myanmar Rice Sector Development Strategy. The country aims to be a food-secure nation where smallholder farming households triple their household incomes, including income derived from rice and rice-based farming, thereby enjoying a decent standard of living comparable to that of urban dwellers. The sustainable intensification of rice production, using efficient and effective natural resource management methodologies for higher rice productivity and profitability, is the cornerstone for achieving this goal by 2030.

Agritechnica Asia is organised by the DLG and VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific, and is a spin-off from the highly successful Agritechnica, the world’s largest trade fair for farm machinery held every two years in Hanover, Germany.

More information about “Agritechnica Asia live – Field Demonstrations of Agricultural Machinery” can be found at: www.agritechnica-asia.com/ata-live-2/