Upcoming Trade Shows Essen, Germany for Agriculture

If we’re to talk about Essen’s ties to the agricultural industry, then we need to take a step back and take a full 360-degree view of the sector in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW); the city’s home state. Characterized by a varied topology and geography, the region presents farmers multiple avenues to pursue due to different soil types, elevation and micro-climates. This prompts a diverse ecology of businesses involved in arable farming, animal farming and forestry. North Rhine-Westphalia takes the lead in horticulture with about 50,000 jobs provided by 4700 businesses cultivating 31,000 hectares. While many businesses have evolved, surviving against the odds, North Rhine-Westphalia still ranks as the home of one-third of Germany's greenhouse production. The output from greenhouses in North Rhine-Westphalia represents about 40% of all greenhouse cultivation in Germany. Special crops such as asparagus and strawberries flourish near major cities in Rheinland and Ruhr (Essen included), the Lower Rhein Region, Münsterland, and Ostwestfalen-Lippe. Horticulture generates about 20% of the region’s total agricultural output value, nearly twice the national average. All horticultural branches combined contribute approximately €2.4 billion annually with half of that from horticultural and landscaping services. On a national scale, North Rhine-Westphalia ranks third in Germany in terms of agricultural output revenue, falling behind only Bavaria and Lower Saxony. Over the years, it has demonstrated its relevance and capability. In the period 2012-2014, the state maintained an average output of €7.7 billion. However, it’s of importance to note that in the last decade this output has diminished due to the shrinking number of people employed in agriculture, resulting in the declassification of North Rhine-Westphalia as an agrarian state. That’s not to say that agriculture has stopped being relevant to the state’s broader economy.