Reconnect

The 43rd Agricultural Fair is underway in Ettelbruck, running Friday through Sunday under the theme "Reconnect." The goal is to bring agriculture and citizens closer together, with a focus on local and regional products. Despite temperatures soaring above 30 degrees, organisers expect around 50,000 visitors over the weekend.[1]

A record 380 exhibitors and representatives from the agricultural sector have filled the fairgrounds, making it the largest edition in the event's history. The fair is a showcase for livestock breeders, dairy producers, crop farmers, and machinery suppliers. It is also, this year, a backdrop for a political crisis that refuses to fade.

Saturday's highlight was a visit from European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, who served as the event's guest of honour. Hansen took time to visit local breeders, sample ice cream, and engage in discussion at the Luxlait stand. He emphasised that the entire country, especially the dairy farming sector, is closely following the ongoing saga involving EKABE and Luxlait.[1]

The EKABE crisis has left 68 dairy farmers in limbo. Hansen was clear: they cannot simply be abandoned. The EU's agricultural reserve, worth 450 million euros per year, could provide investment support, though funds would not be available until next year. He encouraged farmers not to lose hope. The issue, he noted, has not gone unnoticed in Brussels.[1]

The commissioner also touched on the broader picture. Farmers are on the frontline of climate change. They understand the importance of environmental regulation better than most, because they live with its consequences daily. The tension between agriculture and environmental policy is not going away. But at Ettelbruck this weekend, the mood was focused on connection: between producers and consumers, between Luxembourg and Europe, between a sector in crisis and the resources that might, eventually, help it through.