Delegation from Minnesota discusses agriculture in the Münsterland region
A week travelling through Switzerland and Germany - and a stop in Münsterland in the process: eleven participants from the US delegation "Minnesota governor's trade mission" visited the region for a day yesterday, learning a lot about local agriculture and regional innovations in the agricultural sector. Münsterland e.V. welcomed the group in Münster and accompanied them throughout the day.
Participants included representatives from agricultural organisations and associations, the university and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the trip was not only to exchange ideas but also to strengthen trade relations, as Thom Petersen, Minnesota Secretary of Agriculture, emphasised: "Germany and Switzerland value high-quality agricultural products, and we see great opportunities for Minnesota farmers in these markets." The group is part of a larger delegation travelling with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
The contact was established via the Münster Economic Development Agency, which supports the long-standing partnership between North Rhine-Westphalia and Minnesota. Andreas Grotendorst, Chairman of Münsterland e.V., welcomed the delegation to the premises of the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association in Münster. "It's really something special when US delegations come to Münsterland. We present our region on an international stage, strengthen relationships and can learn from each other. This is a great opportunity. As a region with a long agricultural tradition, we score highly as a strong business location, but also with many innovative collaborations, businesses and approaches in the agricultural sector." The topics of the Münsterland e.V. presentation were therefore the region as a business and living location, current economic projects and best practice examples with which the Münsterland is positioning itself in terms of climate change, shortage of skilled labour and scarcity of resources.
Michael Uckelmann, Vice President of the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association, also provided insights into agriculture in North Rhine-Westphalia. He said: "With regard to the operational orientation of agriculture, there are certainly parallels between agriculture in Westphalia and especially in Münsterland and that in Minnesota - particularly in terms of arable farming and livestock farming. Although larger farm structures certainly prevail in Minnesota, the challenges - such as climate change and competitive pressure - are similar and affect farmers here and there. What they all have in common is that they play a significant role in the respective economic power and regional food production."
For lunch, the guests went to the harbour cheese dairy at Münster harbour. There, Dr Dorothee Schulze-Schwering from the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture (LWK) provided expert input. The topic: Innovations in agriculture. LWK President Karl Werring also took part in the dialogue throughout the day. In addition to the technical part, the delegation also got to know two regional food producers, Hafenkäserei and Finne Brauerei.
The tour of the AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG concentrated feed plant was then exciting. In addition to plant cultivation and the trading company's technologies, the participants were particularly interested in "smart farming", such as the use of robots and AI in agriculture.
The delegates were visibly impressed and recognised many similarities. Their trip will continue until 21 November.
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