Chuck and Cindy have been providing international ag coverage for the past several weeks, and in November, it will be my turn. I’m planning to join John Deere at the preview days for the 2007 Agritechnica exhibition in Hanover, Germany. Agritechnica leadership is getting excited about the event and about the record setting number of exhibitors. Dr. Reinhard Grandke, Chief Executive Officer of the German Agricultural Society, says that, with more than 2,111 exhibitors, Agritechnica has grown by 39 percent. Grandke adds that the event’s overall growth is due, in large part, from the growth in international exhibitors – which has jumped up 65 percent from last year.
“This makes Agritechnica not only a platform for innovation with the latest technology, but also a source of ideas and inspiration for the key issues of the future in agriculture and agriculture technology. It is also the forum for the farmers of the future, seeking to use new, technology-based strategies to exploit new potentials for efficient farming in their locations and specializations.”
“Agritechnica 2007 will present the world’s largest range of modern agricultural machinery, components and replacement parts. All leading international companies in the industry are present, showing individual strategies for every kind of farm.”
“The future development of the agricultural machinery market will depend on the development of the local agricultural machinery markets, which are becoming more and more relevant. Whether the commitment of many farmers in bioenergy production pays off must be scrutinized carefully, and it remains to be seen whether some biogas plants are really profitable or rather pose a financial risk.”
“Many manufacturers [are] presenting numerous novelties with a high degree of innovativeness. These include several trend-setting world innovations. These involve special-purpose, efficient and intelligent machines and processes. Their aim is to economise on production inputs and achieve higher yield security. It is no longer a question of simply developing machines which are bigger and wider. Instead, what is wanted is performance and flexibility through innovative technologies.”
Here is our group from the United States at the IFAJ Congress in the lobby of the Sendai Excel Hotel doing some arts and crafts. 
A couple of consultants from Elanco Animal Health have moved up in ranks. Dr. Bill Platter oversees consultants for beef cattle and Dr. Bill Mies is Elanco’s latest beef consultant.
Cindy and I have had a very relaxing stay in Sendai the past two days. We’ve wandered around town, including the Sun Mall Ichibancho. It’s a big shopping mall that goes on for blocks in every direction.
This is one of the workers at the Furukawa Agricultural Research Center. He was posing for us ag journalists so I’ve got to post him for you.
Precision agriculture is hitting the rice industry in Japan. At least it’s in R&D now at the 
During our visit to the Tokyo University of Agriculture we attended a press conference with Mr. Masanori Sato, Director General in charge of International Affairs, Japan Ministry of Agriculture. 
This is the way people have transplanted rice into paddies for who knows how long. That’s changed a lot now that machinery has been built to make the task much easier and faster.
We got to watch a demonstration of a machine with a man at the wheel but the main attraction was a prototype of a new GPS-guided planter. I’ll have more on that in another post.
We moved on from Tokyo to Sendai via Furukawa on Wednesday. Moving a couple hundred people through a crowded train station is not an easy task. The Japanese journalists helped out though by stationing themselves at various places with signs pointing us to the right track.