Foto: ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA

A company that produces 12,000 tractors a year, a global market leader in fruit preparation, animal feed that reduces the use of antibiotics in livestock breeding and a worldwide leader in the production of agricultural machinery with more than 140 years of experience: the Austrian agricultural and forestry industry is diverse. The relatively small-scale structures within the country encourage creativity and promote a sustainable way of working. That is why Austria is also number one in organic farming within the EU.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN AUSTRIA AS A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE

A dynamic rural area ensures a high quality of living and guarantees food security. The small-scaled Austrian agricultural industry – with around 20 hectares of agriculturally used land per farm – is a model for future sustainable development worldwide. In 2020 the Austrian agricultural model ranked number one out of 67 countries in the Economist’s Food Sustainability Index for sustainability in agriculture.

Organic farming plays an important ecological, economic, and social role in Austria. Both the number of farms and the areas which are organically farmed are constantly increasing. Thus, around one-quarter of the area dedicated to agriculture is already farmed organically. We are therefore the number one organic country in the European Union. Rural development is the central element of the Austrian agricultural policy. The most important support scheme for organic farms is the agri-environmental Programme ÖPUL. This programme accounts for more than 40 % of the support measures disbursed. Austrian agricultural policy is committed to supporting agricultural businesses in the continuous improvement and adaptation of their farming methods and to adequately rewarding their contribution to protecting the environment in the future.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY MADE IN AUSTRIA

The production of agricultural machinery in Austria is highly specialised, flexible, and innovative. The range of products is extremely comprehensive. One of the main focuses in the production of agricultural and forestry machines in Austria is on tractors. In addition, machines and appliances for soil cultivation (e.g., harrows, plows) and for grassland (mowers, gyroscopes, etc.), municipal vehicles, agricultural trailers, animal housing, irrigation systems, municipal technology as well as wood chipping machines are produced. These innovative machines and devices significantly facilitate the work and increase efficiency in agriculture.

THE DIGITAL UPWIND IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION – TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION

Agricultural technology is an exciting future market with a lot of potential for innovation and development. A key aspect is the digitalisation of agricultural technology which provides users with valuable information and can help with decisions and measures. Austrian agricultural engineers are also addressing the topic of automation as this is an important issue for the future production of food and the extraction of raw materials.

Through the bundling of technologies, services and know-how, Austrian export companies offer a wide range of internationally competitive concepts along the value chains of agriculture and food production. Farm management is pursuing the holistic approach of depicting the farm as an integrated system and optimising operational processes. Automatic documentation leads to transparent and efficient operative processes. With the help of data analyses, agricultural measures such as the use of machinery, fertilisation, and the application of plant protection as well as transit and operating times can be identified in detail and thus planned precisely. Smart farming and precision farming for crop and feed production and farm management systems combine innovative digital technologies with modern agricultural technology “made in Austria”.

Animal feed additives that protect the health of the animals by deactivating mycotoxins in contaminated feed are just one example of high-profile approaches with which the challenges of the future are being met in a sector with a long history.

From March 22 to 24, 2023, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Romania organized a business delegation with several Austrian companies in the field of “Agriculture” and was also present at AGRARIA 2023, the most important exhibition in the sector, which took place in Cluj-Napoca from April 21 to 24 2023.

Plenty of interesting insights into the sector and its top players from Austria can be found in our FRESH VIEW magazine on agriculture, which we gladly send you on request.

Team ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Bucharest

Share

Share