At the international EuroTier press conference held on 22 September in Offenbach am Main, Germany, Dr. Lothar Hövelmann, CEO of the DLG (German Agricultural Society), outlined the key factors currently shaping the global livestock sector.
These include geopolitical uncertainty and fragile supply chains, rising feed and energy costs, climate change and increasingly frequent extreme weather events, the global spread of livestock diseases, labor shortages in industrialized countries, and growing demands regarding animal welfare, emission reduction and resource efficiency.
Organized by the DLG, EuroTier 2026 will take place in Hanover, Germany, from 10 to 13 November under the guiding theme “Intelligence in Animal Farming.” As the world’s leading trade fair for livestock professionals, EuroTier aims to provide practical responses to current market pressures and structural changes through targeted technical content, innovative technologies and forward-looking management concepts.
According to Dr. Hövelmann, entrepreneurial competence is the decisive factor determining whether livestock operations can remain successful in increasingly challenging markets. He illustrated this point using performance analyses from the DLG’s benchmark networks of leading dairy and pig farming businesses.
Livestock Producers Face Increasing Pressure
Livestock producers around the world are currently confronted with multiple challenges, including volatile markets, climate-related impacts and animal disease risks. Against this backdrop, EuroTier 2026, the world’s leading trade fair for animal farming and livestock management, offers a platform for industry professionals to exchange knowledge on innovative technologies, management concepts and the latest scientific findings.
“The objective is to provide livestock professionals with practical ideas and strategies that will help position their businesses successfully for the future,” said Hövelmann.
In his analysis of current market conditions, he highlighted the impact of geopolitical conflicts such as tensions in Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Disrupted supply chains and trade routes continue to create significant volatility in agricultural commodity and energy markets. The resulting increase in feed, energy and input costs places additional pressure on livestock businesses.
At the same time, due to ASF outbreaks in Germany and other EU member states in recent years, many of these countries are no longer regarded as fully ASF-free. Since ASF outbreaks in recent years, large parts of Germany and other EU countries have lost ASF-free status. Major export markets such as China have imposed import restrictions on pork from affected countries while simultaneously expanding domestic production capacity.
Across the European Union, these developments are reflected in declining pork exports to third-country markets. According to Eurostat data, EU pork exports fell from approximately 5.5 million tonnes in 2022 to 4.4 million tonnes in 2025.
Management Excellence Creates Competitive Advantage
Despite these challenges, strong management remains a key success factor.
This is demonstrated by the DLG Network of Leading Pig Farms, which includes around 200 high-performing piglet production and finishing operations in Germany. Since the 2003/2004 business year, participating farms have continuously reduced animal losses while simultaneously improving daily weight gains and feed conversion efficiency.
Looking at individual livestock sectors, Hövelmann emphasized that the impact of current market conditions differs significantly.
Pig Farming
Many pig producers in Germany and across Europe continue to operate under significant margin pressure. High production costs, animal diseases and trade barriers are accelerating structural change throughout the sector. Both the number of pig farms and pig inventories have declined in Germany. Nevertheless, global demand for pork remains fundamentally stable, even though market prices and trade flows continue to fluctuate.
Dairy Farming
The dairy sector in Germany and Europe is seeking a new balance between increasing production volumes, declining milk prices and persistently high costs for energy, feed and fertilizers.
In January 2025, the average EU raw milk price stood at 42.2. Euro per 100 kilograms, approximately 10 Euro lower than in January 2024. However, this remains significantly above levels seen during the dairy market crisis of 2016, when prices fell below 30 Euro per 100 kilograms.
The DLG Network of Leading Dairy Farms further demonstrates that entrepreneurial success is possible even in difficult market conditions. The network recently began evaluating the carbon footprint of milk production according to internationally recognized standards. Participating farms achieved an average carbon footprint of 0.92 kg CO2 equivalent per kilogram of milk, representing a leading industry benchmark.
Poultry Production
The poultry sector generally continues to benefit from positive market prospects. However, margins remain highly sensitive to changes in feed, energy and housing costs.
In Germany, the laying hen sector is currently performing robustly, supported by strong consumer demand for eggs. At the same time, significant risks remain both nationally and internationally, particularly due to volatility in feed and energy markets and the ongoing threat of Avian Influenza outbreaks, which can rapidly reduce livestock populations.
Sustainable Livestock Farming Requires Integrated Solutions
“The livestock industry must address multiple challenges simultaneously,” emphasized Hövelmann.
“Future-oriented business strategies must combine economic resilience, animal health, biosecurity and responsible resource use. One thing is clear: a growing global population in increasingly challenging markets needs livestock farming as an indispensable component of sustainable global food systems.”
He added that the economic performance of livestock farms can no longer be viewed in isolation. Market prices, extreme weather, feed availability, energy supply, animal health, political frameworks and technological developments are closely interconnected and require systemic responses from livestock producers and agribusiness companies alike.
EuroTier 2026 will make these interconnections visible throughout the entire value chain while presenting technologies, management concepts and technical expertise that support practical business solutions.
Industry Insights Shape the Technical Program
To ensure that the technical program addresses the most relevant industry challenges, DLG incorporated findings from its international Agrifuture Insights Survey 2025/2026 into the planning of EuroTier 2026.
Approximately 1,770 participants from the international DLG network took part in the online survey. Respondents identified priority innovation areas and future investment topics.
Animal disease prevention emerged as one of the highest priorities. Participants placed particular emphasis on prevention, monitoring systems and effective biosecurity concepts, especially in the poultry sector.
“Biosecurity is not a single measure but a continuous process combining prevention, monitoring and consistent management,” Hövelmann explained.
Automation and AI Continue to Gain Importance
Labour shortages and rising wage costs are expected to further accelerate automation in livestock farming.
AI-supported herd management systems are increasingly capable of analysing animal health indicators, feeding behaviour and activity patterns, enabling earlier detection of health problems and more informed management decisions.
In dairy farming, key investment priorities identified by survey participants include new barn construction and refurbishment, improved barn climate systems, modern housing equipment and automated milking technologies.
However, Hövelmann stressed that smart farming and artificial intelligence must not become objectives in themselves.
“The decisive factor is the availability of practical, reliable and economically viable solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing farm operations and support better decision-making for livestock producers.”
EuroTier 2026 will highlight this connection between technology, productivity and animal welfare through features such as the Barn Robot Event, where automated livestock solutions can be experienced live.
“We want the world’s leading trade fair for livestock professionals to provide inspiration for entrepreneurial solutions,” Hövelmann concluded. “Our goal is to encourage livestock farmers around the world to evaluate innovative concepts that support sustainable, efficient and high-performing livestock businesses.”
