EuroTier, the world's leading trade fair for professional animal husbandry and livestock management, will take place in parallel with EnergyDecentral, the leading international trade fair for decentralised energy supply, in Hanover, Germany, from 12 to 15 November 2024. Under the guiding theme ‘We innovate animal farming’, the trade fair offers an international technical programme on the latest developments in cattle, pig and poultry production. An additional area is dedicated to horses and addresses the current issues affecting horse farms. Farming professionals will also be able to explore the topics ‘Direct farm sales and on-farm slaughter’ as well as a range of professional topics in feeding. The DLG stand offers presentations and expert talks on topics such as sustainability, animal welfare, digitalisation and the promotion of young talent in agriculture.

Many countries are now calling for a complete ban on pig tail docking, citing the argument that an intact curly tail is regarded as an important welfare indicator, particularly for finishing pigs. Current solutions from the industry will be presented in the DLG Spotlight called “Pig Farming without tail docking” at EuroTier. At the Expert Stage for Pigs, specialists will discuss best practice examples daily over the four event days with the aim of raising awareness of tail docking so that investments in infrastructure, management and marketing pay off for animals and humans in the long term.

Other key topics at the Expert Stage for Pigs include gut health, sustainability, animal welfare, emission reduction, digitalisation and appropriate management tools for pig farming. In addition, current results from ongoing national and international projects will be presented throughout the event.

“Expert Stages’’ for dairy and beef farming professionals

Several expert stages are dedicated to dairy and beef production, where practical information and current project results will be presented during the trade fair. Starting with hygiene in the calf housing and the three pillars of dairy cattle feeding, the focus will be on how dairy farmers can balance falling milk prices and healthy feeding. Another focus will be on grassland management, crop recording and silage management. Relevant to farms with experiencing hot weather spells, EuroTier will present the options available on how to reduce heat stress in cattle and minimise antibiotics when drying off dairy cows. Digital assistance systems already play a major role in cattle farming. Further opportunities for sensor-based AI systems on dairy farms and other innovations for digitalisation in livestock farming will be presented.

The TopTierTreff feature is once again the international marketplace for top genetics in Hall 11, where leading German and international breeding companies and organisations from the dairy and beef cattle sector will present breeding animals.

Automation and robotics take centre stage at the Barn Robot Event. Under the new FarmRobotix brand, seven feed pusher robots will be presented live as part of daily live demonstrations in a dedicated area. Both events are expected to attract interest from dairy and beef farmers at EuroTier.

AI in the poultry house and the Wold Poultry Event 

With the aim of presenting the practical use of AI-supported technologies in the poultry industry, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) - the organiser of EuroTier - , is preparing a spotlight on this topic. ‘AI in poultry farming’ in Hall 17 include manufacturers of AI-supported solutions who will be presenting working solutions to interested visitors.

The Poultry Expert Stage, which is located next to the new feature on AI, invites visitors to attend numerous high-calibre specialist presentations on all aspects of the poultry industry. Scientists, consultants, staff from subsidised projects and other international industry experts will be presenting innovative approaches in poultry farming. The World Poultry Show is also back at EuroTier - the platform for the international poultry industry. Exhibitors along the entire production chain can be found in Halls 16 to 18 at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds.

A must for horse farms 

EuroTier is devoting special attention to horses this year. Over the four event days, two specialist presentations on the Expert Stage of the DLG stand in Hall 13 are dedicated to horse husbandry. Topics covered will include the design of runs, weather protection, feed production, feeding and manure utilisation. Staff recruitment and retention are further highlights.

On Wednesday 13 November, the DLG and FN (Fédération Nationale, German Equestrian Federation) will jointly organise the ‘Horse Theme Day’. Starting at 10 a.m. on the Expert Stage with an expert talk on the topic of ‘Work organisation, automation - how can I organise everyday life on my farm?’, the event then leads on to guided tours of selected exhibitors focussing on horses in the areas of technology and equipment. Further specialist presentations in the afternoon will round off the programme for horse farms.

An all-round view of feeding 

As a central topic in livestock farming, feeding occupies the largest exhibition area at EuroTier. Feeding topics and trends can be further explored on all Expert Stages in the technical programme. At the DLG stand, farming professionals can access the new online searchable collection of feedstuffs and gain insight into the properties and nutrient content of around 1,300 feedstuffs.

Direct farm sales and on-farm slaughter 

The direct sales of farm products is becoming increasingly important for consumers as it guarantees transparency and freshness. The topic ‘Direct farm sales and on-farm slaughtering at EuroTier will focus on mobile slaughtering and highlight its central role in the farm sales of agricultural products. This includes the legal background to marketing and effective marketing measures with a focus on social media and practical insights through reports from farm stakeholders. Another key topic at EuroTier will be the various marketing channels for direct farm sales. The trade fair will also highlight how to ensure profitability of this sales model.

Promotion of young talent and award ceremonies at the DLG stand 

At the DLG stand, the topics of sustainability, animal welfare and environmental protection – from field to plate - will be addressed and brought to life. Exhibits on reducing emissions in and around the housing, the new DLG sustainability certificate for pig production and the DLG animal welfare programme for dairy cattle farming will round off the offering. For the first time, the DLG will be offering visitors beef tasting. These tasting sessions include meat from several breeds and will challenge visitors' senses and focus on the different sensory characteristics of dairy and beef breeds.

In addition to award ceremonies and talks on promoting young talent and the shortage of skilled labour, the role of data, data platforms and AI as well as the use of digital tools to save resources will also be discussed on the stages at the DLG stand.