Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia 2018, being held in BITEC, Bangkok from 22-24 August 2018, is the home for innovation and technology, building a sustainable future for Asian farmers and growers
Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia are jointly organised by DLG International GmbH and VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. The official co-hosts are the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA). The trade fair is supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
Standing for innovation, people and technology, both trade fairs and international conferences show the future of crop production in open field and closed cultivation. Global challenges addressed by the UN drive the industry in the direction of new solutions while respecting the environmental footprint and food safety.
While Horti Asia showcases smart horticulture technology for all types of growers, Agritechnica Asia is dedicated to mechanising new generation farms while tackling the issues of urbanisation, productivity and sustainability. About 300 leading companies from 29 countries as well as seven country pavilions from China, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands present their latest technology in 11,000 sq m. About 10,000 international innovators and visionaries are invited to contribute and apply innovations in their farm community or country, enabling others to perform better.
According to Ton Otten, managing director of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd, “Both trade shows are dedicated to contribute to building a sustainable future in agriculture. With the upcoming challenges, the industry must act unified and perform on future standards. Southeast Asia is set to be the food basket of the world.”
As official co-host of Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, opened the leading agricultural and horticultural trade fairs for Southeast Asia.
“With the support of many government agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, i.e. the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE), Department of Agriculture (DOA) and Cooperatives Promotion Department (CPD), we firmly believe that our decision to co-host Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia 2018 will significantly boost the development of Thai agriculture. In order to achieve our goal to become the hub of agricultural production in Southeast Asia and reach global quality demands, this event is a great opportunity for farmers and growers in the region. Farmers can learn from international technology and service providers how to increase efficiency and yield,” the official added.
Somchai Charnnarongkul, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, emphasised the importance of both the events as a platform for knowledge sharing and smart technology. “It is our goal that all farmers become smart farmers applying innovations and smart technology, especially with regard to farm labour shortages. Platforms for knowledge sharing and innovations like Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia are important instruments to reach this goal. Thus, we are very pleased to be the co-host of this exhibition.”
The Department of Agricultural Extension invited more than 1,000 Thai young smart farmers, leaders of agricultural learning centres, cooperatives and government officials from all 77 provinces. In guided tours through Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia, farmers will see solutions for increasing yield and efficiency in every stage of the agricultural value chain.
As government agencies have provided support from the very first editions of Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia, Kanokporn Damronkul – the director of the exhibition department at the Thailand Convention and Exhibtion Bureau (TCEB) – stated, “TCEB’s support campaign ‘Connect Businesses’ and ‘Exhibiz in Market’ for Horti Asia and Agritechnica Asia aims to boost trade and business matching at the region’s largest trade exhibition for horticulture.”
“TCEB’s support reflects the bureau’s policy to use trade shows to drive the Thailand 4.0 policy of the government as these two trade shows are involved in the development and upgrade of the agricultural sector and food processing industry, which is one of the 10 S-Curve industries in the Thailand 4.0 policy. The bureau also believes that Thailand is the region’s most suitable destination for business success in agricultural and food processing industries because Thailand is one the world’s leading exporters in these two sectors, and with the country strategically located in the heartland of Southeast Asia, it makes it a perfect platform to tap into the emerging economies of the region,” Damronkul further added.
Peter Grothues, chairman of the supervisory Board of DLG International GmbH (German Agricultural Society), referred to the comprehensive conference programme of the twin events.
“This year, Agritechnica Asia will launch the first ‘Agrifuture’ forum. It will be the stage for experts from all over the world to share their best practices, techniques on drone technology and precision farming and presentations on models about sharing agricultural machinery. Seminars and panel discussions like ‘Farming goes Digital – Ways to Get Agriculture Smart and Digital,’ ‘Precision Farming in Rice Production’ and ‘One for All, All for One’ and ‘Success through Joint Machinery Use’ will address up-to-date topics relevant for the agriculture industry in Asia-Pacific.”
Another highlight of the conference programme is the world-class international forum on ‘Horticultural Product Quality,’ outlining the Southeast Asia challenges on fresh produce quality during the post-harvest supply chain, organised by the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). In the following days, growers of fruit and vegetables will learn from researchers and exhibitors to implement recent postharvest technologies that optimize product quality from farms to consumers.
With the launch of Systems and Components Asia, Maschio Gaspardo and DLG will organise a special demonstration on basic maintenance, demonstrating the correct use and maintenance of soil implements and farm operations. Werner Kloos, deputy director general of the Department of Agriculture of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany, said, “It is not only about buying the appropriate machines, but also about subsequent training, handling and maintenance.” Farmers and dealers can see multimedia demonstrations on each trade fair day.
Having the objective to meet colleagues and find the latest technology, more than 500 hosted industry leaders such as Satra, TH Milk, Greenfields, VINAFRUIT and Mitr Phol have confirmed their visit.
“VINAFRUIT's interest is to help Vietnamese growers and traders to export more Vietnamese fruit to other countries,” said Dinh Van Houng, chairman of VINAFRUIT. “Our growers attend the regional trade fair Horti Asia to learn more about global conferences, industry leaders sharing expertise with our growers and meeting global standards. We also learn from other fellow growers from other countries. Vietnamese growers feel welcome at Horti Asia in Bangkok, meeting the entire industry efficiently.”
Dr. Chris Aurand, Sr. Expert of Mitr Phol Innovation & Research Center, sees the trade fairs as ideal platforms to get to know and connect with international partners. “Mitr Phol Research & Development Institute has been working with AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA for the last six months. AGRITECHNICA ASIA has worked closely with us to determine topics of interest for our R&D program and had a key role in introducing Mitr Phol to companies with innovative solutions for our research projects. We have been connected to multiple technology providers that we would otherwise not have known about. Mitr Phol is planning to continue our fruitful relationship with Agritechnica Asia into the future.”
Farmers, traders, agricultural manufacturers and associations are welcome to visit Horti Asia and Agritechnica Asia 2018 from 22-24 August 2018, EH 98 A-B, BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand.
The unique features of this year’s event are as follows:
· Farming technology from 29 countries
· Seven country pavilions: China, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands
· About 138 speakers from 20 countries and 52 organisations
· Agrifuture Forum and DLG Forum: Best Practices in agriculture and horticulture
· Seminar on Precision Farming in Rice Production by the International Rice and Research Institute (IRRI)
· World-class researchers for the Horticulture Forum from the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
· Panel Discussion on Regional Trade and Investment of Agricultural Machinery by the Regional Council of Agricultural Machinery Associations in Asia and the Pacific (ReCAMA)
· Greenhouse and Urban Farming conferences on indoor cultivation
· Systems and Components Special on basic maintenance of machinery
For further information, please visit www.agritechnica-asia.com and www.horti-asia.com
