Export Delegation to Catalonia

Take part in the joint export promotion of Danish solutions and technologies within sustainable pig slurry handling solutions. The focus is to provide you with market insights, sales leads, as well as both internal and external networking opportunities.

The delegation trip will include seminar and networking reception, visits to local pig farms, slurry processing plants as well as networking opportunities with local key stakeholders. 

This delegation is organized by The Trade Council’s Food & Agriculture Advisor in Madrid, in a cooperation with the Danish Agriculture & Food Council. The Trade Council in Copenhagen is supporting the event financially – this subsidy is included in the price for participation. 

Who should participate? 

Companies offering services, solutions, technologies within the entire manure handling value chain:

• manure collection, storage, transport and/or application to the fields
• biogas plant designers and developers. Technologies for the production of biogas
• companies offering digital programs to support handling of manure
• ventilation systems for barns

Pig farming in Catalonia

In Spain, livestock farming accounts for 20% of agricultural production and Spain is the leading European country in pig production. The excrement of these animals is a serious ecological problem that farmers must consider in order to comply with the new European and national legislations. Even though Spain is a country with a very high agriculture production, the amount of manure in some regions like Catalonia exceeds the land where it can be applied. With the new regulation there is an urgent need to find new applications for this subproduct as well as finding less harmful ways to apply it to the soil. Slurry has been primarily used as fertiliser but there is an opportunity for farmers to revaluate it as green fuel (biogas and biomethane) as well as organic fertiliser. Denmark offers solutions in both areas thanks to its prohibition to spread (not inject) manure on the fields and its long tradition producing biogas from pig farming.

On the one side, the new regulation in the Spanish market that just came into force in 2023 obliges the farmer to prioritize the application of manure to the crops, adjusting particularly phosphorus and nitrogen. The law also provides instructions on how to stock and for how long, as well as on how to apply that manure in the fields. This legislation also refers to the reduction of emissions through a nutritional strategy for the animals.

On the other side, and as a consequence of the global instability resulting from the war in Ukraine, there is a need for the EU countries to become energy independent. This results in a growing interest in alternative and green gas sources such as biogas or biomethane. This interest has materialised in the "Biogas Roadmap”, the creation of Guarantees of Origin, the Integrated Plan on Energy and Climate, and in general, in the start of a debate at a political and commercial level, for the creation of a secure legislative framework and a favourable scenario for the promotion of biogas production.

On top of that, there is specific regulation laying down basic rules for the management of intensive pig farms establishing certain requirements regarding the compulsory application of Best Available Techniques (BAT) to reduce ammonia emissions. These emissions from livestock can be reduced through improved feeding, targeted breeding, feed additives, new manure technologies and new fertilisation systems.

A unique way to get a feel for the market

The export delegation will aim to give the participants a better understanding of the Catalonian pig farming market in a region with a severe problem of draught, very intensive pig production, soil erosion and polluted groundwater and where the government is clearly focused on reverting the situation. You will meet potential partners through site visits to pig farms as well as meetings with relevant industry and academia stakeholders. In the end, this should help the participating companies decide where to focus their efforts in the near future.

During the trip, participants will get to will explore the ways of the Catalonian pig farming sector and support their business development efforts in the market through:

• Networking opportunities with relevant organizations and potential future partners and customers
• Various farm visits and slurry processing plants
• Visit to biogas plant(s)

If your company is interested in the Spanish pig farming industry and is having doubts of where to focus efforts, this trip will provide an ideal platform for understanding the drivers of the market and engage in specific discussions about your company’s product or service with the local pig farming communities. 

Tentative program

The program is tentative and will be altered to the participating companies to plan the most relevant activities possible.

Tuesday, 24 September

• Travel from Billund to Barcelona (Flight BLL Tuesday 24: 14:50 - BCN 17:35)
• Welcoming dinner with Consul from Denmark in Barcelona. We will invite representatives from Danish companies in Barcelona to share their experience in the Catalonian market.

Wednesday, 25 September

• Meeting with General Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock and Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda
• Lunch with local stakeholders
• Visit to IRTA (equal organisation in Catalonia to SEGES in Denmark)

Thursday, 26 September

• Visits to pig farms, biogas plants, and manure processing plants (2 to 3 visits would be arranged depending on logistics and biosecurity)

Friday, 27 September

• Morning: Visits to pig farms and manure processing plants (2 visits would be arranged depending on logistics and biosecurity)
• Afternoon: Departure Barcelona – Billund (Flight BCN Friday: 17:15 - BLL 22:50)

Price for participation

• 15,265 DKK 

The price for participation excludes flights, hotels, and VAT per company for one participant after deduction of 50% subsidy from The Trade Council and with 7 companies participating. The Trade Council will ensure end-to-end planning and execution of the trip except booking of flights.

Price for an extra participant is 1,725 DKK.

NOTE: The Danish company is free to have its local representatives represent your company in full during the event. On the registration form you can, if relevant, therefore add the contact information of the local participating person/company. However, only Danish companies in Denmark with a Danish CVR number can register for participation, and the invoicing will always be issued in DKK to the Danish company address.

We reserve the right to offer you participation at a different price should any of the above criteria’s change. Should this result in a higher price than quoted, you have the right to cancel your participation. Other expenses not mentioned above are at own expense including flights, dine & drink and hotel.

NOTE: The price is based on 7 participating companies, who are all eligible for subsidy, and 50 percent subsidy (already granted) from the Trade Council of Denmark.

If your company is not eligible for subsidy due to de-minimis issues (having received more than 300,000 € in de-minimis subsidy within the past 3 years, including the present) you are binding yourself to pay the full price, meaning without the subsidy. The same conditions apply if you do not wish to receive subsidy.

Registration

Please register at the top of the site at the latest on Friday 24 May 2024.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the organizers:

The Trade Council of Denmark, Madrid
Almudena Vázquez
almman@um.dk
Phone: +34 662 183 435

Danish Agriculture & Food Council
Michael Stahlschmidt
mis@lf.dk
Mobile: +45 2124 1711