World’s biggest machinery show Agritechnica postponed to 2023 as a third COVID-19 wave grips Europe

The world’s biggest trade fair for agricultural machinery has been postponed for a second time, meaning there will be no event in 2022, as a third wave of COVID-19 grips Europe and its home country Germany.

Agritechnica was originally planned for Hanover in November last year but postponed in March to February 2022 because of COVID-19.

The event is held in Hanover every second year, with the most recent event in 2019 attracting more than 480,000 farmers and 2800 exhibitors to showcase the best in technology and machinery.

Organisers say the event will now take place in November 12-18, 2023, with the delay prompted by a third wave of coronavirus in Europe and Germany’s slow vaccination program.

Our focus is now on preparing Agritechnica 2023 as well as the other national and international DLG events and trade fairs that are scheduled for next year.

An official statement released by Agritechnica organiser — Germany’s agricultural society the DGL — said the event there was “insufficient certainty” for the event and it was too risky to go ahead.

“DGL is postponing the Agritechnica trade fair,” the statement said.

“Because of the continuing coronavirus pandemic as well as the progress of vaccination programs, both in Germany and abroad, the DLG, VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and Agritechnica’s exhibitor advisory board have concluded that insufficient certainty for planning currently exists for the world-leading exhibition in November.

“With the four-month postponement of the trade fair, the DLG, as organiser, as well as the members of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, believe that the participating companies have the necessary certainty required for planning.”

A handful of the event’s biggest exhibitors, John Deere, JBC and SDF, had already pulled out of the rescheduled 2022 event before the postponement was announced.

DGL chief executive Reinhard Grandke said organisers made the decision to respect the event’s responsibility towards the “health and safety of all”.

“We deeply regret this cancellation,” he said.

“Many of our exhibitors, partners, visitors and members, as well as the entire DLG team, have already invested in extensive preparations.

“Our focus is now on preparing Agritechnica 2023 as well as the other national and international DLG events and trade fairs that are scheduled for next year.”

Despite the cancellation, DLG still handed out its planned gold medal and several silver medals to honour innovations from manufacturers locked in for the 2023 event.

German company NeXaT won the gold medal for its unique NeXaT — a carrier vehicle that can carry all implements needed for tillage work.

Sixteen silver medals were handed out, including for Krone’s new smart technology ExactUnload, that helps to unload silage wagons more accurately and evenly.

Another robotic tool, the RoboVeg Robotti for harvesting broccoli, won silver for a joint venture between Agro Intelligence, in Denmark, and RoboVeg.

A new soil compaction software system, Terranimo, from Claas, was also awarded silver.

Fendt won silver for its automatic dust extraction system that recognises the air filter’s soiling level during operation, or while driving and cleans it fully automatically without it having to be removed.

The accolade comes after Fendt won Tractor of the Year 2020 for its Fendt 942 Vario at the 2019 event.

The Cemos Auto Header, from Claas, won silver for developing the first adjustment control technology for auger cutter bars.

The Big Baler Automation system from CNH Industrial New Holland is now the first system in which an operator can set the desired bale weight directly on an agricultural square baler.