The following preliminary conclusions can be drawn:

1.     The agricultural machinery and equipment industry and its suppliers were represented outstandingly well at Agritechnica 2011. Over 2,700 companies from 48 countries showed a complete programme of machinery, equipment, spare parts and accessories. The international contingent grew from 47 percent in 2009 to 50 percent. The number of exhibitors has more than doubled in the last ten years. The number of international exhibitors has more than tripled in the same period.

2.     Agritechnica is the agricultural machinery manufacturers’ platform for launching new machinery and equipment. The innovations shown in the areas of electronics, instrumentation and control and data management make it possible to achieve new dimensions in precision and efficiency.

3.     With some 415,000 visitors, Agritechnica has reached a new record level. The figures show an increase of around 18 percent over 2009. This result documents the enormous interest of farmers and experts in the latest machinery and equipment and trail-blazing concepts for the future. In view of the positive prospects worldwide, farmers want to use modern machinery and equipment to optimize professional crop production.

4.     Around 315,000 visitors from Germany came to Agritechnica. An impartial survey of visitors reveals that farmers from all regions were very well represented – 39 percent coming from South and Southwest Germany, 48 percent from North and West Germany and 13 percent from East Germany.

5.     Agritechnica is more international than ever. The 25 percent increase by comparison with 2009 to around 100,000 international expert visitors was accounted for in particular by the Netherlands (over 10,000 visitors), Switzerland (9,000), Austria (8,400), Ireland (6,100), Denmark (6,000), France (5,400), United Kingdom (5,200), Finland (3,300) and Italy (3,200).

With around 18,000 decision-makers and investors coming from the large farms in Central and Eastern Europe, Agritechnica exerted its expected magnetic draw. These numbers represent an increase of 25 percent by comparison with the figures for 2009. Most of these visitors came from Poland (3,200), the Czech Republic (3,000), Russia (2,300) and Ukraine (1,600).

The character of the world’s largest exhibition was impressively affirmed by the rise in visitor numbers from North and South America (6,100 visitors). Visitor numbers from emerging countries such as India, China and Pakistan (2,000) also rose clearly.

6.     About 55 percent of visitors to Agritechnica are business farmers. Roughly 23 percent work farms covering up to 50 ha, 23 percent 51 ha to 100 ha, 42 percent 101 ha to 1,000 ha, and 12 percent more than 1,000 ha. Over 33,000 visitors came from the sector of agricultural machinery trade and distribution, and over 32,000 from machinery manufacturers and the supply industry. Furthermore, some 34,000 contractors from home and abroad came to Agritechnica 2011.

7.     The survey of visitors shows that two thirds of the farmers interviewed assess their current business situation as good. This figure is around 20 percent higher than in 2009. The results also reveal that three quarters of the farmers have concrete plans to invest in the next two years.

8.     As always, the expert visitors showed great interest in tractors and transport vehicles, the entire bandwidth of soil working, as well as harvesting machinery and equipment for cereals, forage and root crops. Substantial interest was also noted in machinery and equipment for sowing and drilling, plant care, fertilizing and plant protection, as well as in accessories and spare parts. The many special offers, as well as machinery and equipment for forestry operations, vegetable growing or municipal applications and landscape care also inspired great interest.

 

9.     Larger, faster, wider – these attributes continue to describe many developments in agricultural machinery and equipment, but their significance is increasingly and universally being upstaged by a constant influx of new developments in electronics and sensor technology. Today these largely determine the degree of innovation of machinery and systems with the goal of making processes even more efficient, precise, environmentally compatible and thrifty. This was strongly in evidence at Agritechnica 2011 and especially in the Special “Smart Farming - Intelligent and sustainable plant production”. The information offered there on the latest developments in sensor technology, navigation and data management encountered exceptionally high interest among farmers.

10. Special measures were taken at Agritechnica to counter the foreseeable shortage of skilled workers in the field of agricultural machinery and equipment among manufacturers and in the service sector. In the Special “Workshop Live”, specialists ranging from apprentices to master craftsmen demonstrated their skills and potential on high-tech machines with typical maintenance and service work. Manufacturers also informed interested visitors about attractive career prospects for machine builders, electro-technicians and computer specialists.

11. The many international forums and events addressing attractive issues of interest to professional farmers and experts are a hallmark of Agritechnica.

12. Junior staff are a firm part of Agritechnica. More than 10,000 young farmers and students from home and abroad attended the various events at Agritechnica. Particular mention should be made of the panel discussion at which 400 young business people from many parts of Europe discussed farm management and business management issues. Reports by young German and Austrian farmers running farms in Australia, Canada, Poland and Russia met with great interest. One of the highlights of Agritechnica 2011 was once again the “Young Farmer’s Party”, held in the TUI-Arena for the first time this year and attended by over 3,000 young people.

                                                     

The next Agritechnica will be held at the Exhibition Grounds in Hanover from 12 to 16 November 2013 (Preview Days 10 and 11 November).

(DLG). The exhibition organizer commissioned the firm Wissler & Partner Trade Fair Marketing from Basle to conduct a representative survey of exhibitors at Agritechnica 2011. All the exhibition stands were included in this survey on Friday, 18 November. Answers from 608 exhibitors were available for the preliminary analysis.

Overall result of exhibitors’ participation in Agritechnica 2011:

92 %    of the exhibitors reported at the close of the exhibition that       (2009:   91 %)

            their participation had produced a positive overall result.

            75 % reported very good and good results.                  (           68 %)

            17 % reported satisfactory results.                                           (           23 %)

 5 %    reported less satisfactory and poor results.                              (            5 %)

  3 %    did not reply                                                                           (            4 %)

_____

100 %

Assessment of the number of visitors:

88 %    of the exhibitors had very many, many, or satisfactory             (2009:   86 %)
numbers of visitors on their stands.

 

Assessment of the quality of visitors:

93 %    of the exhibitors assessed the technical qualification of                        (2009:   88 %)
visitors as very good, good or satisfactory.

Contacts with new customers:

88 %    of the exhibitors reported contacts with new customers             (2009: 85 %)
during Agritechnica 2011.

            63 % reported numerous contacts                                            (         58 %)

Contacts with visitors from Germany:

89 %    of the exhibitors reported positively about their                         (2009: 89 %)
contacts with visitors from Germany.

Contacts with visitors from other countries:

83 %    of the exhibitors reported positively about their                         (2009: 78 %)

contacts with visitors from other European countries.

58 %    of the exhibitors reported positively about their
contacts with visitors from non-European countries.                  (2009: 49 %)

Expectations for post-exhibition business:

87 %    of the exhibitors assessed the prospects for their -                   (2009: 85 %)
post-exhibition business positively.

            65 %    expected very good and good business.                                 (          53 %)

            22 %    expected satisfactory business.                                               (          32 %)

(DLG). The exhibition organizer commissioned the firm Wissler & Partner Trade Fair Marketing from Basle to conduct a representative survey of visitors at Agritechnica 2011. For this purpose 4,492 visitors were questioned at various locations in the exhibition.

Where did the visitors to Agritechnica 2011 come from?

76 %    Federal Republic of Germany                                                   (2009:   77 %)

31 %    North Germany (Lower Saxony, Schleswig Holstein,
Hamburg and Bremen)                                                             (33 %)

            17 %    West Germany (North Rhine/Westphalia)                                   (17 %)

            23 %    South Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg)                  (24 %)

            16 %    South-West Germany (Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland)   (14 %)

            13 %    East Germany (former East German states and Berlin)              (12 %)

24 %    Other countries                                                                                   (23 %)

What were the reasons for people to visit Agritechnica 2011?

42 %    To gather information about innovations and trends                  (2009:   39 %)

41 %    To talk to manufacturers                                                                      (39 %)

33 %    To gain an overview of the market and programmes                             (30 %)

31 %    To gather information about products/systems/applications                  (29 %)

23 %    To exchange views with colleagues                                                      (22 %)

23 %    To prepare for investments                                                                  (23 %)

18 %    To cultivate existing business connections                                           (17 %)

17 %    To establish new business connections                                                (16 %)

17 %    To seek new international products and solutions                                  (15 %)

 7 %    Technical programme (Forums/Lectures/Conferences)                           ( 7 %) (multiple answers possible)

 

Which sectors did the visitors come from?

66 %    Farming and forestry                                                               (2009:   65 %)

18 %    Trade/industry                                                                                     (18 %)

16 %    Others                                                                                                (17 %)

Are investments planned in the next two years?

73 %    of the farmers/forest managers plan to invest                           (2009:   70 %)

Of the farms/enterprises planning to invest

59 %    plan to expand existing branches of business                          (59 %)

53 %    plan to replace machinery and equipment                                 (50 %)

15 %    plan to take up production in a new field of business                (14 %)

22 %    are still at the planning phase                                                               (23 %)

 5 %    are not planning any investments                                                          (7 %)

How large are the farms of the farmers who visited Agritechnica 2011?

10 %          1 ha to           20 ha                                                           (2009:     9 %)

13 %        21 ha to            50 ha                                                                      (14 %)

23 %        51 ha to         100 ha                                                                       (24 %)

29 %     101 ha to         300 ha                                                                       (30 %)

 7 %     301 ha to         500 ha                                                                       ( 7 %)

 6 %     501 ha to        1000 ha                                                                       ( 5 %)

 5 %    1001 ha to        2000 ha                                                                       ( 5 %)

 7 %    2001 ha and more                                                                               ( 6 %)

How did the visitors rate Agritechnica 2011 overall?

97 %    positive            assessment                                                                (2009:   97 %)

            82 %    very good and good                                                               (78 %)

            15 %    satisfactory                                                                             (19 %)

 2 %    less satisfactory                                                                                  ( 2 %)

 1 %    not satisfactory                                                                                               ( 1 %)

Manufacturers of agricultural machinery and equipment were highly satisfied with the course of the industry’s exhibition Agritechnica 2011 that closed in Hanover on Saturday.

“As one of the three largest industrial trade fairs in the world, Agritechnica now plays in a league of its own – a status attributable primarily to the great innovative force and international market presence of the European agricultural machinery and equipment industry”, declared VDMA Managing Director Dr. Bernd Scherer at the closing press conference. “Particularly positive features are the consistently excellent quality of the discussions conducted and the unusually good investment mood displayed by farmers from all over the world”, added Scherer.

Exceptional boom phase continues

VDMA therefore expects a further post-exhibition boost in demand. According to a representative survey of exhibitors conducted by VDMA, around 85 percent of manufacturers of agricultural machinery and equipment expect very good to good business development in Germany in the next six months. Business expectations for markets of the future in the CIS states are also moving at a very high level. More than 90 percent of those questioned are expecting a sustained boom. 

Business farmers convert to intelligent production

“This boom phase makes one thing very clear – forward-looking farms are converting boldly to intelligent production processes. Their slogan is ‘More intelligent production’”, said Scherer. Navigation exact down to the last centimetre, sensor-supported data collection and automatic production sequences are now the established standard in professional, entrepreneurial agribusiness. Newcomers in the field are marketable solutions for linking the entire process chain. “After all, Precision Farming is much more than accurate track guidance or spot-on application of farm inputs. From the farm computer to the tractor-implement train on the field and transport logistics, the agricultural production and distribution chain will in future be electronically controllable – precise, efficient and transparent”, declared Scherer.

 

Nearly half the visitors show strong or very strong interest in buying

Alongside the increasing technological complexity in agricultural machinery and equipment, the expertise and level of qualification of the visitors has also risen distinctly. “Thoroughly well informed and prepared visitors allow sales-oriented discussions from which both customers and manufacturers profit equally“, stressed Scherer. He said it was remarkable “that nearly half the Agritechnica visitors had come to Hanover with strong to very strong interest in buying”. This applied to both national and especially the international visitors to the exhibition, who were becoming increasingly significant. After all, more than 70 percent of the companies now see the global orientation of Agritechnica as a crucial engine for successful exhibition business.

Do you have any questions? Christoph Götz, telephone +49 69 6603-1891, is at your disposal to provide further information!