Frost protection, multiple-risk insurance, new regulations on agriculture, and the abrogation of the spirits monopoly. Currently: fruit growers, agronomists and distillers all over Europe have a lot to talk about. From February 23 to 25, 2018, Fruchtwelt Bodensee will give visitors a glimpse of a wide range of approaches to current problems and answers to the industry’s pressing questions. Experts will be on hand to offer overviews of the latest developments in methods, trends and technologies for the global fruit-growing market. A first-class program of events to accompany both the fruit-growing exhibition and the international distillery day will provide in-depth examinations of current issues in the industries. Other topics that will be spotlighted include direct marketing and agrotourism.
“In times of market turbulence, it becomes all the more important to stay informed and exchange ideas and information. Fruchtwelt Bodensee provides an outstanding platform for that purpose, and it comes at just the right point in time,” says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. He is convinced that “this event will chart the course for the coming season.” Fruchtwelt Bodensee has undergone significant development, combining a comprehensive array of products on offer with a quality conference program, and early signs indicate that the next edition will be a great success. “Compared to the same stage in organizing the 2015 event, this time we have 20 percent more registrations, meaning we’re expecting around 370 exhibitors to attend the eighth edition of Fruchtwelt Bodensee,” reported project manager Petra Rathgeber. One topic that the exhibition will spotlight is direct marketing, she announced. “The new area, “My Farm Shop”, is off to a good start, with numerous exhibitors to present solutions for shop construction and fittings, vending machines, and products for farm shops.” Furthermore, various presentations on the topic are in planning.
Current Affairs: The 38th Bodensee Obstbautage Fruit-growing Conference at Lake Constance
For fruit-growing specialists, the highlight of the event will be the 38th Bodensee Obstbautage. The West Foyer and the Conference Center will be devoted to a variety of technical presentations and discussions. “The topics of this year’s Bodensee Obstbautage are directly on point with regard to the developments currently occupying fruit growers, producers and marketers alike, namely protecting cultures from undesirable weather effects and taking precautions to safeguard their companies’ financial security,” explained the organizers of the event, Eugen Setz of the Obst vom Bodensee regional marketing association, Dr. Egon Treyer of the Bodenseeobst growers’ organization, and Dr. Manfred Büchele of the KOB Bavendorf (Lake Constance Competence Center for Fruit Growing).
Big Picture: Climate Change and Its Consequences
Following heavy losses due to frost in early 2017, the subject of climate change has taken center stage at the Bodensee Obstbautage conference. At the top of the agenda: political demands, suitable models for multiple-risk insurance, and a tax-free risk balancing reserve. The minister of agriculture of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Peter Hauk, will be in attendance at the opening of the exhibition on Friday to offer remarks on some of the most urgent initiatives coming from the industry. Dr. Matthias Görgens of the Obstbauversuchsanstalt (fruit-growing research center) in Jork, who has been examining the effects of climate change for many years, will open the event with a presentation on this crucial subject. Models for multiple-risk insurance will be presented by Michael Lösche of the insurance agency Vereinigte Hagelversicherung and by Klaus Mugele, vice president of the farmers’ association of Baden-Württemberg. And Heinrich Huber, director of the Hagelschutzkonsortium insurance agency of South Tyrol, will share some insights into the workings of his agency and its past experiences with multiple-risk insurance. Talks by Dr. Gianni Chiogna from Bolzano, Italy, and Marc Sellwig of the KOB Bavendorf will discuss the technical details of using water sprinklers for freeze protection as well as alternative freeze protection techniques.
Enriching: Vacationing on Farms
The topic of vacationing on farms will be given its own series of talks. On the Saturday and Sunday of the exhibition, an extensive body of information on developing this alternative source of income will be made available to interested visitors. Dr. Hermann Gabele from the District Office of Bodenseekreis district will kick off the series with a presentation on “Farm Vacations: A Method of Reducing Financial Risk for Agricultural Businesses?” Then Irmgard Hofmann, also of the local District Office, will lay out the roadmap: from the initial idea through the planning and financing stage to the implementation. The talk after that will handle the aspects of marketing, quality assurance, and networking in the agrotourism segment. Further presentations will handle tax issues as well as the topic of how to make a farm a safe environment for children.
Landmark: Introduction of Transborder Projects
The KOB Bavendorf will be on hand to provide visitors to Fruchtwelt Bodensee with information on four projects that it is currently working on in cooperation with partners from other fruit-growing regions of Europe. Dr. Christian Scheer, an expert on plant protection from the KOB, will present on “Low-residue Production: Model Sites for Advancing Integrated Plant Protection Strategies”, while Dr. Lars Lehmberg will report the latest results in the project to prevent losses due to drosophila suzukii (commonly called the spotted wing fruit fly). In addition, the KOB will give a talk on direct and indirect strategies for combating Marssonina leaf blotch, a fungal disease which defoliates apple trees.
Pioneering: Project to Prevent Damage to Fruit During Storage
Storage damage can lead to considerable losses after the fruit has been picked. Greater knowledge of the causes of the damage and the proper handling of fruit during harvesting and storage can help significantly reduce these losses. KOB expert Dr. Daniel Neuwald will report on a project to communicate sustainable strategies to eliminate sources of damage. The approach involves developing a practical multimedia system to make the accumulated body of knowledge available via an online platform and an app. The database will be accessible free of charge starting around the middle of 2018.
High-proof: Heady Questions at the International Distillery Day
There will be a lot to talk about at the 2018 International Distillery Day, which will be held during Fruchtwelt Bodensee. The focus will be on two urgent topics: the new alcohol tax law, which will go into effect at the beginning of 2018 and abrogate the spirits monopoly, and the planned revision of the EC regulation on spirits. This dual focus will be reflected in the program, with Werner Albrecht of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture illuminating national and EU-wide spirits regulations while Klaus Lindenmann, managing director of the distillers’ association of the state of Baden, will provide information on the new regulatory provisions affecting distilleries starting in 2018. However, other subjects will be handled, as well, for example in Jürgen Friz’s seminar on calculating fire costs for indemnity purposes and in Ulrich Jakob Zeni’s talk on modern presentation of fruit brandies. In Hall B2, exhibitors will be showing off the latest products relating to distilling and distilleries.
Opportunities: Digital Networking in Agriculture
Digital networking is steadily advancing and promises to become a major topic in agriculture, too. At their exhibition stand, representatives of the machinery syndicates in Tettnang, Linzgau, and Lindau will be showing potential opportunities in the area of “smart farming”, both in the future and those already available today, as well as the requirements for agricultural entrepreneurs of the future. Questions of labor law are also on the agenda, with presentations on regulations on road haulage and its effects on agriculture as well as risk assessment with regard to workplace safety and occupational health.
Ticket prices and opening hours
Fruchtwelt Bodensee will take place from Thursday, February 23, to Sunday, February 25, 2018. Opening hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Day tickets cost 11 euro. For more information and an overview of the program of talks, visit: www.fruchtwelt-bodensee.de