Aquitanima Tours, May 9-18, 2023

This year’s breed competitions at the Salon de l’Agriculture de Nouvelle-Aquitaine took place over three days. Aquitanima 2023 International Tours welcomed foreign and French participants to visit the various farms and breeding centers before each of the Salon’s breed competitions, enabling the international delegations to take part in their respective competitions. The Morucha breed was given pride of place at the show.

This year, show organizers welcomed the President of the Spanish Morucha breed association, Mr. Jesus Castaño nieto, and the only French Morucha breeder, Mr. Gragnier. For health reasons, it was not possible to present animals in Bordeaux, but a tasting of products was organized following a special program organized at the show, on the Agriweb TV set.

A common day had to be found to enable the delegations to meet for the international seminar at the Conseil Régional. It was held on Wednesday May 17, at the end of the Baza-Blond tour and the beginning of the Limousin circuit, with three presentations on : “Youth involvement in agriculture”, by Valérie HANNOUN, from Agrocampus 64 Pau; “Let’s make progress together on bovine genetics” by M. Pierre ROY and Marine GIROUX from UALC- Union des Coopératives d”Élevages et d’Insémination Animale and on “the evolution of the Limousin cattle breed in Lithuania, particularly in an organic farming system” by Mr. Arunas RUTKAUSKA, Director of the Association of Organic Cattle Breeders.

The various tours are a real added value, providing an overview of the livestock sector in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the keys to understanding how to invest safely and confidently. The aim is to deepen their knowledge of French breeds and the quality of their genetics, so that they can return home with new farm management strategies and the knowledge to improve breeding techniques.

The quality of the welcome on the farms, the involvement of the guides and the convivial atmosphere contributed to the many highly technical exchanges, creating a spirit of cohesion between the foreign and French professionals, thus fostering the conditions for future commercial exchanges.

Around 100 foreign and French participants attended the tours and the show:

–Tour Baza-Blond (19 participants; 7 nationalities represented): 8 Spanish; 4 Dutch; 3 French; 1 Belgian; 1 Algerian; 1 Tunisian; 1 Dominican

–Tour Limousin (17 participants; 4 nationalities represented): 4 Spanish; 1 Estonian; 8 Lithuanian; 4 Chinese

–Goat Tour (9 participants; 3 nationalities represented): 2 Italians; 3 Moroccans; 4 Romanians

–Draft Horse Tour (1 participant; 1 nationality represented): 1 Chinese

–Specific program of dairy farm visits in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (14 participants; 1 nationality represented): 14 Chileans

–Participation in SANA breed competitions (30 participants; 1 nationality represented): 30 Spanish