(DLG). With a cultivated area of around 160 million hectares, rice is one of the world´s major cereal types and contributes to feeding large population groups. Reason enough for DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society) to devote a Special to rice production for the first time at Agritechnica from 12 to 16 November 2013 (Preview Days on 10 and 11 November). Together with the expert partners Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, Rome) and Cornell International Institute for Food and Agriculture Development (CIIFAD, Ithaca, USA) and exhibitors at Agritechnica, DLG has organized a "Rice Production" Special in Hall 17 at the Exhibition Grounds in Hanover. This offers professional rice producers a forum for technical issues and suggestions. As in many other areas of agriculture, for rice cultivation too – and here particularly – the challenge is to master agricultural and environmental requirements in future by producing more foodstuffs with fewer resources. At the Special, current challenges in rice cultivation will be discussed and appropriate solutions will be presented, supported by the exhibits of experienced and proficient exhibitors.
The expert partners FAO and CIIFAD are engaged in rice cultivation applying Conservation Agriculture (CA) methods and will be presenting the "System of Rice Intensification (SRI)" that they have implemented in many countries. Contact persons at the Special will be Josef Kienzle and Amir Kassam (both FAO) and Erika Styger (CIIFAD). In addition, ADMITE Arroz (Argentina) will be showing the training programme for rice farmers in the rice-intensive regions of Argentina at the Special. Christian Jetter, rice farmer from the Province of Corrientes and President of the regional rice growers´ association (Asociación Plantadores de Arroz de la Provincia de Corrientes), will be answering all practical questions, including those concerning minimal tillage.
The following exhibitors will be represented in the "Rice Production" Special:
• Fontana, who will be showing laser-assisted levelling equipment for rice fields
• Maschio Gaspardo, who will be showing tillage and seeding machinery for rice
• Amazonen-Werke, who will be showing seeding and fertilizing machinery for rice
• Tidue, who will be showing soil-conserving chassis, especially for wet rice cropping
• Riela, who will be showing machinery and equipment for storing and conditioning of rice.
The language at the Special is English.
In addition Forum events will be held on the Special stand at which rice-specific questions and issues will be discussed.
