Sommet de l’Élevage 2010 to showcase best of breeds

Added: (Thu Jun 03 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Sommet de l’Élevage, the leading trade show for European livestock professionals, will take place from 6 to 8 October 2010 in Clermont-Ferrand (in central France). The three days of the trade show will feature a unique programme of animal presentations, business meetings and conferences, with 1,900 animals on display.

Sommet de l’Élevage 2010 will gather over 1,200 exhibitors from across all agricultural sectors, with 76,000 visitors expected, including 2,500 from outside France. Clermont-Ferrand, which is located in the heart of the Massif Central (the leading European region for beef-cattle production), will be hosting the event, which is taking place for the 19th time in October 2010.

Sommet de l’Élevage 2010 will offer an exceptional opportunity to showcase the best of French livestock breeding. Over the three days of the event, 1,900 animals of very high genetic quality will be on show, both in competition and on display, including 22 cattle breeds, 26 sheep breeds and 16 horse breeds (including the nine French draught-horse breeds).

In 2010, the world-renowned French Charolais beef-cattle breed will be in the spotlight, with over 500 animals competing in the contest, which will reward the best of the breed in France. In terms of dairy cattle, there will also be a contest for the Holstein breed, featuring 150 cows from southern France.

Sommet de l’Élevage 2010 will include many new features, including a section devoted to sheep breeds, with close to 450 sheep from 26 breeds (including the Ile-de-France and Rava breeds competing in French national contests). There will also be British cattle breeds on show, with Angus, Hereford and Galloway cattle on display.

Reflecting the importance of energy issues for agricultural production, the exhibition area for the Livestock buildings and new energy sector will be twice as large as was the case at the previous trade show, with 1,200m2 dedicated to exhibitors who offer environmental and economical solutions to breeders.

There will also be a forum on job opportunities in agriculture, organised by VETAGRO SUP (a French higher-education institute for agricultural engineers and veterinarians) and APECITA (the French Association for Executive Careers in the Agricultural Sector).

Every year, Sommet de l’Élevage increases its international appeal. In 2010, 380 international exhibitors, as well as 2,500 visitors from close to 60 countries, are expected in Clermont-Ferrand. The international section, hosted by ADEPTA (the French Association for the Development of International Exchanges in Agricultural and Agrifood Products and Techniques), will provide a VIP welcome to international delegations. It will also organise guided tours of the trade fair and meetings with the exhibitors, as well as presenting France’s expertise in animal breeding and genetics.

In 2010, hospitality for international visitors will be strengthened by the presence of Auvergne International, an association bringing together all the institutional agencies and other players in international development within the region.

International visitors will also be able to take part in dedicated events, such as tours to 20 breeding farms and agro-industrial sites, including slaughterhouses, insemination centres and cheese factories. There will also be introductory presentations on French genetics (sheep as well as beef- and dairy-cattle breeds).

The second session of Franco-African business meetings organised by the AFDI (the French Farmers and International Development Association) will be attended by numerous professionals from Africa. In addition, as part of the celebrations for the Year of Russia in France, a dedicated reception procedure for Russian attendees will be in place.

Sommet de l’Élevage 2010 is set to feature visits from politicians, alongside seminars and other business events. A range of themes will be discussed in the conferences, including animal welfare; the risks to food independence among African countries stemming from the sale of agricultural land; health practices in cattle-breeding facilities; electronic animal identification; bovine-meat production costs; the new outlook for milk production in Europe; and, finally, current issues in the veterinary sector.

The Sommets d’Or (Golden Peaks) competition will, as always, reward exhibitors whose equipment, products or services are the most innovative in the farming/breeding sector. Other events will include the Trophée des Massifs (the Massifs Trophy, focused on animal assessment carried out by young people), the Fermiers d’Or competition (the Golden Farmers, a food-products contest) and a wool competition.

The Europe of 27 through its peaks project has been set up by a group of farming and tourism professionals from the Massif Central region of France in order to conduct a study on change and diversification in agriculture throughout the mid-sized mountainous regions of Europe. The aim is to put regional players in farming and the tourist industry in touch with their counterparts in mid-sized mountainous regions in other European countries, with a view to establishing a genuine network for dialogue, as well as developing sustainable relationships between European Union citizens.

As part of the project, participants are aiming to climb the highest peak in each European Union country. Expeditions have already covered Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Germany, amongst other countries, and visitors from these countries who have taken part in the project are invited to explore the Auvergne region, its practices and its business activities, during Sommet de l’Élevage 2010.

About Sommet de l’Élevage

Sommet de l’Élevage will take place in Clermont-Ferrand (in central France) from 6 to 8 October 2010.

In 2009, Sommet de l’Élevage featured 1,160 exhibitors from across the following sectors: breeding equipment (33%), agricultural machinery (31%), and supplies and services for breeding (36%).

For further information, please go to: www.sommet-elevage.fr

Sommet de l’Elevage is also on Facebook at: http://fr-fr.facebook.com/pages/Clermont-Ferrand-France/Sommet-de-lElevage/93185073892