The world's leading trade fair for animal production, organised by DLG, took place from 11 to 14 November 2014 at the Hanover Fairgrounds.

International agriculture is facing major challenges, posed by an ever changing social and political landscape and by markets in which demand is increasingly fluctuating.

Farmers are working hard to develop strategies to secure the future of their operations. To achieve this, they are looking to innovative technologies such as those showcased at EuroTier 2014.

EnergyDecentral has become an established international platform for decentralised energy supply.

Here are the preliminary results:

1. 2,360 exhibitors from 49 countries presented a comprehensive range of products and services to the animal husbandry sector. Nearly half the exhibitors were from countries other than Germany, underlining EuroTier's international credentials.

2. EuroTier welcomed around 30,000 visitors from abroad – an outstanding result. The Netherlands (3,800) provided the highest number of international visitors, followed by Austria (2,000), Finland (1,300), Switzerland (1,200), Poland (1,200), the UK (1,100), France (1,100), Denmark (1,000), Belgium (950) and Russia (900).

There was also a noticeably high number of visitors from Eastern Europe: 2,700 investors and decision-makers from industrial farms in these countries used EuroTier to find out about the latest technological advances.

Despite the current geopolitical situation, the exhibitors are reporting that the investment climate continues to be positive. There was also strong representation from North America (1,100) and Central and South America (1,300), while around 1,100 people came from the Middle and Far East, 990 from Africa and 270 from Oceania.

3. EuroTier is an engine of innovation and a marketplace of ideas for the agriculture sector. Manufacturers use it to showcase their innovations for productive livestock management in the 21st century.

The solutions that were presented – in particular in the fields of process engineering, farm inputs, management and software, animal housing installations and animal housing and shed construction are giving pig, poultry and cattle farmers a wide range of new opportunities for making essential improvements in efficiency.

The welfare of the animals is also high on the agenda for the developers and their customers. The annual conference of the Association of Veterinary Practitioners (bpt), held at the same time as EuroTier, offered an ideal forum for discussing all aspects of animal health.

4. A unique feature of EuroTier is the breadth of information around animal feed and animal health. EuroTier is the only place where suppliers from these segments are brought together with customers from all areas of the animal husbandry industry.

5. The EuroTier 2014 technical programme was very well received by visitors. Among the highlights were the international events for the dairy and pig farmers and the International Poultry Day, which was held the day before EuroTier started.

These were attended by around 1,000 industry professionals from all over the world. The conferences and forums also offered excellent opportunities for sharing views and best practice.

6. The changing needs of society are having a huge impact on the development strategies pursued by livestock farmers. The numerous information events at EuroTier provided a platform for the industry to discuss a variety of perspectives on modern productive animal husbandry with groups representing different areas of society.

7. The “Young Farmers Day” on Thursday was a resounding success. Thousands of young farmers, schoolchildren and students from Germany and abroad took advantage of the various events on offer at EuroTier. EuroTier's “Young Farmers Party” was once again a highlight, and was attended by around 2,500 people.

8. EnergyDecentral 2014, held jointly with the German Engineering Federation's VDMA Power Systems association, proved to be an excellent marketplace for the energy industry. The exhibitors presented solutions for the entire value chain of decentralised energy supply.

The exhibition was complemented by an extensive programme of events that was organised by the DLG together with the Society for the Promotion of Construction in Agriculture (BFL), the Energie & Management publishing house and other partners.

The next EuroTier/EnergyDecentral will take place from 15 to 18 November 2016 in Hanover.