The major German agricultural machinery event will be held in 2022, after organisers delayed the event.
Organisers of the world’s largest agricultural machinery show have taken the tough decision to postpone this year’s Agritechnica until next year.
Due to the latest extended COVID-19 restrictions prompted by a third wave going through Europe, organisers DLG (the German Agricultural Society) have postponed the event from its orignal November dates, to hold it from 27 February to 5 March, 2022.
In a statement, DLG says a slow response from the German government to ensure a fast effective vaccination programme is one of the reasons the show has been postponed.
“Because of the continuing Corona 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,” the statement says.
“The new dates for Agritechnica are February 27 to March 5 2022. 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.
Prior to this decision two big name exhibitors, John Deere and SDF, had already pulled out of the show while others were considering their positions.
DLG chief executive Reinhard Grandke says that vaccines and COVID-19 test strategies are essential ingredients for Agritechnica to happen again.
“Our top priority is to offer exhibitors and visitors certainty in planning but this is not currently the case,” he says.
“We are convinced that by late summer, which is the deadline for exhibitors to register for Agritechnica 2022, we will be able to give our exhibitors and visitors the clarity necessary for certainty in their planning,” he said.
VDMA chairman Anthony van der Ley says Agritechnica is the flagship in the world of international trade fairs.
“In close cooperation with the DLG, we have done everything we can to develop a trade fair concept for this autumn that is fit for the pandemic,” he says.
“The third wave of the pandemic is currently in full force. But above all it is the disappointing vaccination policies in the German federal and regional governments, which have unfortunately slowed us down for the time being.”
“We are now looking to spring 2022 with fresh momentum and renewed energy so that we can celebrate an Agritechnica together as we know it and love it,” he says.