Freiberg-Zug impresses with a strong 2nd place at the EUROPEA Agrochallenge!

Freiberg-Zug impresses with a strong 2nd place at the EUROPEA Agrochallenge!

The youth of agriculture once again showed their enthusiasm and skills at this year's EUROPEA Agrochallenge, which recently took place in Grolloo, the Netherlands. Team Germany, consisting of four talented technical students, was particularly successful and secured an impressive second place in a competition that brings together the best young European talent in the agricultural sector every two years. The event, which took place last week, attracted a total of 16 teams from different European countries who competed in 18 challenging disciplines.

The competition, which originated in Luxembourg in 2015, is organized by EUROPEA and aims to support young farmers and raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities in agriculture. With tasks ranging from tractor driving to seed calculation to water pipe construction, participants had a maximum of 15 minutes to demonstrate their skills. Each team consisted of four members, including at least one woman, and this year was made up of students from the Freiberg-Zug technical school center from Saxony and the Kupferzell Academy for Agriculture and Home Economics from Baden-Württemberg.

Team spirit and international cooperation

As landkreis-mittelsachsen.de reported, the team was praised not only for its technical skills, but also for its ability to work in a team and communication. The jury's special assessment highlighted how important mutual support and social skills are in a team. The competition's slogan, “Taking part is more important than winning,” illustrated the spirit of the event, which is based on collaboration and intercultural learning.

The founder of Agrochallenge, Georges Krack, has made it his mission to bring together agricultural VET students from all over Europe, giving them the opportunity to both show off their skills and make international contacts. As part of this agenda, preparations are already underway for the next edition in 2026 in the UK. An inspiring environment is created for the participating teams - a goal that has already been strengthened by numerous successful events in recent years.

The importance of agriculture for society

The agri-food sector is not only a central part of the European economy - in 2022, the added value of this sector was over 900 billion euros and it provides around 30 million jobs. Nevertheless, the industry faces major challenges such as climate change, global competition and rising energy prices. In this context, the European Commission's vision for agriculture and food is becoming increasingly important. This vision not only supports the EU's climate goals, but also promotes collaboration across the entire value chain to ensure food security and sovereignty (agriculture.ec.europa.eu).

In a world where only 12% of farmers are under 40, it is essential to attract and train young people to work in the agricultural sector. The Agrochallenge has established itself as an excellent platform to achieve this. More initiatives will continue to be needed to give next generation farmers the skills and support they need.

When honoring the participants, District Administrator Sven Krüger emphasized the importance of these training formats and the need to attract and promote young people for agriculture. As part of the EUROPEA Agrochallenge, it becomes clear that the future of agriculture lies in the hands of committed and well-trained youth who are committed to the challenges of the industry with enthusiasm and innovation.