SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE has presidential approval

The SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE, Europe's leading trade fair for beef producers, will be inaugurated by French President Jacques Chirac. There are 70,000 visitors expected at this year’s event, which will be held at the Grande Halle d’Auvergne show ground, in Clermont Ferrand (France) from 6 to 8 October 2005. The event already has a full complement of 750 exhibitors – a 7% increase on last year's fair – and 1,500 animals.

The SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE is continuing its international expansion. This year, more than 200 foreign exhibitors – from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria among others – will be present and a large number of delegations have already confirmed their attendance. The organisers expect 1,500 overseas visitors, up from 1,000 in 2004.
Visits to farms, technical sites and insemination centres will be organised for visitors and an international area reserved for them. Mexico will be the guest of honour, with 20 Mexican farm managers invited in partnership with UBIFRANCE and the French Livestock Institute. A symposium on the theme of stock breeding in Mexico will present detailed information on a country with a strong livestock farming tradition. The ‘animal health’ area has also been extended, with a large number of laboratories taking part.

As part of the French National Charolais Competition, Charolais breeders will present the 500 best animals representing one of the world’s leading cattle breeds. An auction of high genetic quality Charolais cattle will be organised at the same time. Limousine, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Salers, Aubrac and Gasconne cattle will also be presented in traditional competitions. A new breed will also make its entrance this year – the Parthenaise, from the Poitou-Charentes region of western France. Piemontese, Belgian Blue and Ferrandaise breeds will complete the beef cattle area, so that the SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE will present 95% of French breeds and confirm its role as the leading meeting place for breeders of beef cattle in Europe.

Other interesting areas at the show are the dairy cattle, sheep and horse pens, which will all be bigger this year. The dairy cattle area will welcome a new arrival – the Jerseys – as well as holding interregional competitions for the Holstein, Montbéliarde, Brown Swiss, Simmental, Abondance and Tarentaise breeds. Normande and Flamande breeds will also be presented. Two auctions of elite Brown Swiss and Simmental heifers will be held in the dairy ring. In 2005, the area dedicated to sheep will be twice its previous size and for the first time will hold national Charollais and Ile-de-France competitions with more than 150 animals competing. Other hardy and grassland sheep breeds will also be presented. Finally, the horse area, which debuted last year, is still growing. There will be 300 draft horses (Percheron, Ardennais, Breton, Comtois, etc.) and other, saddle horses in competition or in presentation, making the SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE the leading horse breeder's fair in the south of France.
As is the custom every year, throughout the show there will be conferences and symposia on agricultural themes including, for 2005, "The future of beef breeds in Europe", "Livestock buildings", "Installation and working in agriculture", among others.

About SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE
As a dynamic showcase for the latest technological innovations in the sector and a platform for meetings and exchanges, the SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE is the leading European event for professionals in the stock-breeding sector.
The event will be held at the Grande Halle d’Auvergne show ground in Clermont Ferrand, France, from 6 to 8 October 2005.
For further information, please go to: www.sommet-elevage.fr