With the support of the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA), the UK Agri-Tech Centre and members Earth Rover and NoFence attended Salamaq 24, an important annual event in the Castile y León region of Spain. The event was opened by the regional president, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco and focused on agriculture, livestock and agricultural machinery.
James Kayam, International Business Development Manager at the UK Agri-Tech Centre said:
“This event has enabled us to expand our knowledge and strengthen connections in Spain whilst showcasing the UK Agri-Tech Centre and highlighting innovative technologies from Earth Rover and NoFence. Spain is an important market for both companies and with the support of the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the British Embassy in Madrid, we are fostering collaborations and creating new business opportunities. This is a great example of how we can showcase capability and members on a global scale with the support of international collaboration partners.”
Mar Siles, President of IRNASA-CSIC, said:
“The UK Agri-Tech Centre’s visit to Salamaq 2024 has proven to be both productive and enlightening. It marks a significant step forward in forging a vital international partnership to address our shared challenges in the agro-livestock industry with efficiency and innovation.”
Main takeaways from the event included:
- The sector is grappling with challenges such as labour shortages, climate change vulnerabilities, and water scarcity. Regionally, there is a strong focus on boosting the competitiveness of the agricultural sector while also restoring, preserving, and enhancing ecosystems in agriculture and forestry.
- Enhancing the adoption of agricultural technology in the region presents an opportunity for UK agri-tech companies developing innovative solutions that can help address these challenges within the Spanish agricultural sector.
- Having in country expertise from collaboration partners IRNASA and Department for Business and Trade has been important for the UK companies to help navigate the market and forge networks and relationships.
- Spanish companies and organisations are keen to collaborate with the UK and can benefit from the support offered by the UK Agri-Tech Centre to its international partners and members.
James Miller, CEO at Earth Rover said:
“Attending and presenting at the Salamaq event has been an excellent opportunity to build relations and identify areas for further collaboration as we take our product to the Spanish market. We gained a unique insight into the areas of expertise and research at IRNASA CSIC. We also learned about the produce from the region and the challenges facing farmers in the provinces – an invaluable visit.”
Castilla y León, located in north-central Spain, is the country’s largest region, covering 36,380 sq mi in which 96% is rural. The region faces challenges due to its peripheral location, vast size, low population density, long distances between towns, and difficult access to mountainous areas. It is a plateau with 98% of the land above 600m and 32% above 1,000m. The climate has sharp contrasts, with long cold winters and dry hot summers, leading to water shortages. While this climate supports high biodiversity, it negatively impacts agricultural production.
Agriculture is crucial to Castilla y León’s economy, employing 7.3% of the workforce. It consists mainly of arable crops (46%) and livestock (47%), accounting for 94% of total production. The region has 98,300 farms averaging 55 hectares, but outdated, inefficient equipment—especially irrigation systems—limits both economic and environmental performance.
As a result of UK Government funded knowledge exchange visits, the UK Agri-Tech Centre has established relationships and collaborations with several Spanish organisations including IRNASA, part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). IRNASA carry out multidisciplinary research in different fields related to agricultural crops and their products, environmental conservation and animal health.