On April 8th, Dr. Péter Sótonyi, the rector of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, the rector of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dr. Gábor Pajor, the president of the Hungarian Association for Precision Livestock Farming, Tibor Zászlós, the president of the Hungarian Association of Animal Breeders, Miklós Detre, the vice president of the Hungarian State Treasury, and Gábor Ganczer, the CEO of Hungexpo, signed a cooperation agreement to support the ANImashEXPO exhibition, which will take place for the first time in December in Budapest.
The signatories expressed their intention to support the organization of the exhibition with their knowledge and resources in order to improve the competitiveness of the Hungarian animal breeding sector and related industries. They are committed to ensuring that stakeholders in the sector encounter the most advanced animal health knowledge, technologies, and market development opportunities at this forum, actively participating in the preparation and implementation of a high-quality professional award and conference series related to the exhibition.
Dr Péter Sótonyi emphasized that such initiatives are rare throughout Europe and highlighted the importance of animal health alongside animal breeding in producing animal-derived food of appropriate quality and quantity, which is needed in the Carpathian Basin. He added that modern animal breeding using genetics can only produce good milk, meat, and eggs if the animal population is healthy.
The rector of the university considers food chain security essential from the soil to consumers’ tables, and advocates for the “One Health” approach, recognizing that our health is closely related to the well-being of animals and the environment. Digitization and traceability play significant roles in this regard.
“We are proud,” he continued, “that veterinary education has been ongoing in Budapest since 1787. This was established by the achievements of our past professors, and today’s good news is also thanks to our outstanding contemporary colleagues. It further authenticates that our students come from 69 countries worldwide.”
One of the key issues for the Hungarian economy is food exports, which can only expand if properly controlled animal products are brought to market. This work begins with the examination of live animals, continues with epidemic prevention, and defence against diseases transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa, and is completed with food inspection. Visitors to ANImashEXPO will also become acquainted with cutting-edge medical technology. The university will organize workshops, lectures, and strive to strengthen student recruitment during the exhibition, said Dr Péter Sótonyi.
ANImashEXPO is a much-needed exhibition whose demand was expressed by the professional audience, stated CEO Gábor Ganczer, adding that the event is a logical continuation of AGROmashEXPO, one of Hungexpo’s most successful exhibitions, which relies on 45,000 professional visitors.
The event focuses on questions such as how to increase the competitiveness of the sector, how renewable energy sources can be integrated into the industry, and what challenges the animal breeding profession faces in terms of training and generational change.
The exhibition connects related sectors, allowing industry players to be found in one place at one time, providing excellent opportunities for direct sales, testing new products, assessing market needs, and increasing company visibility, says project manager Enikő Lovasi.
The thematic areas of the exhibition include animal health, feeding, tools and machinery for animal breeding, technologies, chemical products, stable and barn construction, agricultural electronics, measurement technology, environmental protection, waste management, renewable energy, public administration, professional organizations, labor protection, workwear, and services.
The University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest is preparing for the exhibition with numerous programs, including healing, education, digitization, data analysis and processing, as well as issues related to animal husbandry and breeding. Among the speakers will be Dr Péter Sótonyi rector, Vice-Rector for Education Dr László Ózsvári, Institute Director Dr Miklós Süth, Department Heads Dr László Könyves and Dr Gyula Kasza, and Tímea Csapó.
