AGRITECHNICA ASIA and HORTI ASIA 2022 for crop technology investments

Over the three exhibition days, from 25 to 27 May, 218 speakers shared their expertise in 98
conferences, many held in hybrid format. Attended by 4,326 onsite attendees and 2,881 online
visitors, the conference program accompanies the international trade fair for crop production and
smart farming, which is co-hosted by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC).

“AGRITECHNICA ASIA & HORTI ASIA is the preferred guide for ag machinery investment for farms
in the region. With so many different options to choose from today, especially now that smart farming
equipment is making inroads, we need a central venue with people interactions that enable us to
identify, compare and inspect machinery close-up. This allows farmers to make wise decisions and we
found a lot of solutions to develop Vietnam agriculture even further,” said Mr. Pham Quoc Bao,
Sancopack.

Eager to meet the equipment needs of farmers in this region, exhibitors had handpicked for display
their selection of compatible products and services, which they believe will contribute to raising the
level of agricultural production in the Southeast Asian region. Attendees to the region’s largest trade
exhibitions for smart agriculture and horticulture production were made up of trade visitors and
farmers as well as 350 large-scale buyers from Asia-Pacific countries taking part in an exclusive invitation
program. 

“Access to both the right equipment and the right quality is fundamental to modern farming.
AGRITECHNICA ASIA this year has given CLAAS the opportunity to get into contact with
astute buyers from large-scale farms all over the region. Engaging with these farmers in
dialogues have also been a mutual enrichment that could even result in new solutions,”
commented Mr. Anil Menon, Managing Director of CLAAS Regional Center South East Asia. 

More than 250 brands from 26 countries presented solutions for Southeast Asian markets with
companies from Thailand, India, Germany, Italy, China and Vietnam among others. 

Technical program explores topics in-depth

Alongside the exhibitor displays including tractors, harvesters and drones, the conference program
with its nearly 100 sessions invited visitors to explore other topics in-depth like cannabis and
sustainable rice production as well as vertical and smart farming, the latter hosted by MOAC in a
dedicated pavilion as the integration of smart faming is a priority for Thailand over the next decade.
Young farmers shared their agricultural practices in smart farming and their vision for the next
generation of farmers in Thailand.

The three Thematic Pavilions -Thailand Smart Farming Pavilion, Vertical Farming Pavilion, Cannabis
Pavilion – delivered product displays accompanied by the live expert perspective on their title theme.
Pavilion visitors appreciated the face-to-face exchanges as well as drone simulations, performing
precision tasks.

Conference highlights included topical titles like “Thailand Cane and Sugar Industries after
Covid-19”; “Mechanization, Postharvest and Smart Farming for Sustainable Rice Production”;
and “Development of Smart Industrial Agriculture Technology in Thailand”. Some of the discussion
events, like the Thai-Dutch AgTech startup session, held live online are available on-demand.

Organized by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and DLG (German
Agricultural Society) the conference program’s Asia Pacific Trading Summit facilitated networking and
knowledge on markets, technology, after-sales service for agricultural machinery manufacturers and
dealers.

Invited by Thailand’s Department of Agricultural Extension, smart farmer groups took part in an
exclusive program, accommodating their need for knowledge in smart farming solutions, including
efficient water management or post-harvest solutions.

Innovative solutions for food supply chains and climate change

With food supply chains broken and a climate crisis looming, Christine Zimmerman-Loessl,
Chairwoman, Association for Vertical Farming, Germany, sees a clear trend in vertical farming.
“I can see all over the world a global trend into vertical farming. We need to innovate traditional
agriculture. Especially in Thailand, I can see the acceleration in this development,” she said.

“Climate change affects agricultural production. Against this background, in the upcoming future,
we will be doing more research with country partners, including Thailand, on how to make rice
production more sustainable and more cost effective. We are excited to join other international
events this year such as AGRITECHNICA ASIA Live in Vietnam,” said Martin Gummert, Senior
Scientist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

For the first time, the organizers, DLG, and VNU Asia Pacific, introduced Vietnam as a partner
country with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD) offering
valuable contributions on attractive market opportunities in Vietnam.

AGRITECHNICA ASIA and HORTI ASIA 2022 concluded with an invitation from MARD to visit
 ‘AGRITECHNICA ASIA Live’, an outdoor event for live machinery demonstrations on the fields,
to be held in Can Tho Province, Vietnam, 24-26 August 2022.