October 22, 2013

Various visitors, political figures participate in the 22nd SOMMET DE L'ELEVAGE

The 22nd SOMMET DE L'ELEVAGE international livestock show posted new highs for exhibitor numbers, net exhibition space, animal count, visitors and political figures in attendance, and breed shows.

President of the SOMMET Roger Blanc proudly underlines how "a standout of this year's event was to see French President François Hollande use our SOMMET DE L'ELEVAGE as a platform to announce a series of major policy decisions". The President opened the 22nd SOMMET DE L'ELEVAGE and announced a raft of measures that frustrated livestock breeders had been waiting to hear. Roger Blanc explains, "Under the new EU Common Agricultural Policy package, negotiations centred around EU aid package allocation scheme reform, and specifically on how to redress the balance between livestock farmers and crop growers. Livestock farmers welcomed the President's pledges, although obviously we now have to take a closer look at the actual measures announced".

A second highlight for the organisation team concerns exhibitors, for whom the SOMMET event continues to grow into a bigger business forum every year. Feedback from the vast majority of businesses here points to a positive environment, with a professional audience in strong attendance and a flurry of firm business contacts.

The third key positive for the organisation team is the show's expanding international reach, with the number of international visitors this year topping 3,500 people from 80 countries - another new record. The foreign delegations in attendance for the first time this year were stunned by the quality of livestock on show but also by the SOMMET's extensive offer in terms of livestock genetics, farming technology, farm machinery and equipment, and livestock-oriented services.

With over 450 specimens on show and 97 breeders competing, Angélique Lombard of the French Salers breed society is pleased to have been involved in yet another successful event. Another plus was the number of export market opportunities that opened up over the three-day livestock event.

The first national Montbéliarde breed competition hosted at the SOMMET DE L'ELEVAGE brought 240 specimens from 157 farms in 27 French départements – including eight animals all the way from Switzerland - competing, this national breed competition was an outstanding event both in quantity and quality of the livestock on show.

Turning to trade, the SOMMET forum saw a flurry of firm contacts made, especially with countries from around the Mediterranean Basin and Eastern Europe - and even Mongolia, which is steadily adopting the breed.