CIGR Newsletter No 30

NEWS FROM THE SECTIONS, WORKING GROUPS AND MEMBERS

Report of a meeting of CIGR Working Group 3: GATT and Agriculture: Implications for Agricultural Engineering

CIGR WG3 met on the occasion of CIGR's XIIth World Congress in Milan. This WG session was chaired by Prof. R. Hegg, Dr. L. Weiershauser was secretary. Germany, Australia, France, Japan, Morocco, Italy, the USA and Spain were represented.

Three persons were asked to make brief presentations at the beginning of the session as this topic is new to CIGR and most agricultural engineers are unfamiliar with GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Those who made brief presentations were: C. Ambrogi, Director General of UNACOMA, Rome, Prof. Seiichi Oshita, Ass. Prof., Dept. Agricultural Engineering, University of Tokyo and Dr. B. Chèze, CEMAGREF, France.

Prof. Hegg, chairman of WG3, made some opening comments and outlined some of the objectives of the WG3 opening session. One of the key objectives was to determine if there is enough need for CIGR to establish an active, ongoing WG on this subject. He pointed out that direct effects of GATT will be on the primary agricultural products like cereals, meat, milk products, fruits, vegetables etc. As far as agricultural engineering is concerned, it will primarily be indirectly affected by GATT. For example, if a particular country has a large increase (or decrease) in the production of a cereal, fruit, etc., then its need for agricultural machinery will correspondingly expand or decrease. Tariffs on agricultural machinery are rather low (3-9 percent); therefore, there is no large impediment to exports or imports of agricultural machinery. The EU has already implemented policies that would allow for exports and imports among the countries.

Dr. C. Ambrogi highlighted some GATT effects on Italy, in particular, and EU, in general. He pointed out that beef and cereal production will be major commodities for Italy that may be affected by GATT. Italy has 3,800 agricultural machinery manufacturers. The farms of Europe will become larger, especially for cereal production. There will be a set-aside of agricultural land of 300,000 ha in 1994 and up to 400,000 ha in 1995. Sales are going down for tractors of less than 60 hp, but sales are increasing for 60 hp or more, reflecting the anticipated increase in farm size. The environmental concerns due to agriculture will continue to influence Italian agricultural policies.

Prof. Oshita commented on the fact that Japan eliminated any tariffs on agricultural machinery in 1986. Japan has concentrated much more on exports than imports. He expects that food imports will increase in the future and that domestic agricultural production will go down. After GATT is fully implemented, the number of Japanese farmers will decrease.

Dr. B. Chèze listed a number of factors of which CIGR members should be aware of due to the GATT. These included: deregulation, intensive / extensive, production / competition, quality, agricultural environment and diversification. There will be three basic types of farms: Large farms which will be those that 'mass' produce feedstocks and basic raw materials; medium-sized farms which are 'differentiated' and produce high-quality, more high value products like meat, vegetables and fruit; and 'old-fashioned' farms which will have more social and aesthetic impact on the rural environment. The consequences for GATT are to reduce inputs (mechanization costs), improve the quality of products, and be more efficient (greater output for the same input). The equipment needs to be addressed should be: Those that will enhance the environment, provide more economic efficiency, and encourage utilization of innovations by the operators.

Following the above presentations, a discussion was held by the attendees. Some of the comments and questions will be summarized below. Dr Le Bars of France felt it was of importance for CIGR to address GATT. There will be wide differences on the effects of GATT on developing countries (DCs) and the industrialized countries. Dr Ahdelhafid of Morocco agreed and said that the DCs will be more likely to be adversely affected. Dr Le Bars also recognized that there will be regional constraints and environmental constraints that may or may not be linked with GATT. The farmer in various regions will feel these constraints, but these constraints will be tightened more or less by regional ecologic, animal welfare, labour, social and other specific 'environments'. Dr Ahdelhafid stated that we should not only look at the agricultural machinery implications for agricultural engineering but also to the other areas such as: irrigation, livestock production machinery, etc. Dr Weiers-hauser from Germany pointed out that 'friendly farming' which is environmentally correct will play a big role in the future of agriculture and agricultural engineering. Eco-friendly farming, organic as well as 'general farming' and its acceptance by society is a prerequisite to sustain direct payments to farmers for land cultivation, keeping livestock and maintaining landscape, at least in the European Union (EU). The compensating payments, set up in the EU after the GATT agreement and lasting now until 1996, will only continue if general farming methods become visibly more eco-friendly and, hence, more outputs of agriculture than 'food, fibre and other raw materials'. The challenge to agricultural engineering, in cooperation with other scientific fields, will be to provide the means for these forms of production. Dr Le Bars commented that CIGR's position is in between the surplus situation of the industrialized countries on the one hand and the hunger situation on part of the developing countries on the other hand. Despite GATT, there are strong needs for increasing food production in some countries.

Discussion was then held on what future step should be taken by this WG. Ideas ranged from dropping the WG to developing a very active effort within CIGR. The lack of attendance of this WG session gave the indication that CIGR participants were not interested in GATT and therefore there was justification for dropping this effort. However the persons attending the session generally felt that the GATT implications for agricultural engineering were important enough that the WG group should continue. Then discussion centered on what specific tasks should be pursued and a potential timetable for this effort.

Conclusions

1.This WG has value for CIGR and the agricultural en-gineering discipline and should continue.

2.This WG should coordinate with other professional so-cieties to co-sponsor an effort to further assess the GATT implications for agricultural engineering. It is likely that agricultural economists would play a major role in this. The format for this could be a workshop, conference or publication.

3.Communicate to CIGR members the implications of GATT on agricultural engineering. This should be not only the traditional agricultural machinery cropping systems but also the engineering aspects of the food processing, environmental, livestock industry, etc.

(communicated by Prof. Hegg, Chm. WG3)

Prof. Z. Sibalszky, Chairman of Section IV retired.

Prof. Zoltan Sibalszky from Hungary served twelve years as a member of the Executive Board of CIGR. He was a member of the Board of Section IV since 1979 and chaired this Section from 1982 till 1994.

Born in 1926 in Budapest, he became Dipl. Electro-Engineer and Doctor, and is since 1955 lecturer and since 1967 professor in the Chair for Rural Electricity and Machines for Animal Husbandry at the University of Agrarian Sciences in Gödöllö. He is Professor Emeritus since 1992 but is still lecturing at this University.

He was an active member of the Hungarian Committee of CIGR since its foundation in 1967 and is since 1976 Vice-President of this Committee.

He organized with great success the Hungarian Conferences for Electricity in Agriculture in 1966, 1971, 1975 and 1980, the 7th and 16th International Study Days of Section IV in 1975 and 1990 in Budapest. They have been among the most successful CIGR Conferences. He was also the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Ist, IInd and IIIrd International Conferences for Rational Use of Local Energy Sources and Electrothermic Consumers in Agriculture in 1983, 1988 and 1993 in Balatonfüred, Hungary. He chaired also various Working Groups of Section IV of CIGR.

Today he is presidential member of the Hungarian Electrotechnical Association and chairman of the Committee for Electricity in Agriculture of the same Association.

Prof. Z. Sibalszky was awarded with the Ordre du Mérite Agricole de France in 1977, with the Hungarian Blathy-medal in 1982 and with the Hungarian Great Medal for Electrotechniques in 1990.

He is author of over 170 scientific papers and technical reports on electricity in agriculture and 22 books in this field.

In his free time Prof. Sibalszky is a passionate tourist in the mountains and he enjoys sailing and skiing.

CIGR and the whole agricultural engineering community are very much indebted to Prof. Sibalszky for his leading role in the Association and for his efforts towards the advancement of agricultural engineering, more particular in the field of rural electrification and electrotechniques.

We wish him all the best for the years to come and hope that he will now find more time for those things that he always postponed because of his commitments in his various functions.

We wish Prof. Sibalszky good luck and good health in the future and send him, on behalf of the whole CIGR community, our sincere thanks for all what he has done during the many years that he was involved in CIGR.

(Prof. L. Lehoczky,

President Hungarian Committee of CIGR)

The Kobe Earthquake

CIGR has sent a message of sympathy to JAICAE, the Japanese Association of the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering.

As a result of the earthquake the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Bioproduction and Processing, scheduled for 4-7 April 1995 at Kobe University, Kobe has been postponed. Updated information on this event can be found further in the Newsletter.

Foundation of A.L.I.A., the Latin American Association of Agricultural Engineering

During the First Latin American Congress on Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad de Concepcion in Chillan, Chile the Latin American Association of Agricultural Engineering was founded. The Congress was organised by the staff of Prof. E. Holzapfel and was very successful. At the last meeting of the Congress Prof. Alejandro Velanzuela, Vice Rector of the University and Director of the Chillan campus was elected as President of A.L.I.A. A letter of congratulations was sent by CIGR President E. Berge. CIGR is looking forward to a fruitful and successful cooperation with A.L.I.A. as member of the CIGR network.

A.L.I.A.'s HQ will be located in Chillan for the next five years.

The next congress of A.L.I.A. will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1996.

OBITUARY

In memoriam: Prof. Olav Hjulstad

Shortly before Christmas we were informed of the sad news that Prof. Olav Hjulstad of Aas, Norway had passed away at the age of 80. He finally lost his battle against cancer, which he had fought openly for many years and with so much courage. He died on December 19, 1994.

Among his many international friends in CIGR he will be remembered as the first representative of the Norwegian National Association of Agricultural Engineering, which he founded in 1972. He was active in Section II (Farm Build-ings, Equipment, Structures and Environment), and was the organizer of the seminar 'Farm Buildings in the Landscape', which was held at the Agricultural University of Norway, Aas in 1977. In 1980-1984 he chaired a Working Group that delivered the report 'Farm Buildings in the Landscape' in 1984.

Hjulstad graduated from the Agricultural University of Norway in 1940 and had a long career as extension specialist in farm building design before he was appointed in 1964 as professor in farm buildings at the same university, a position which he held until his retirement in 1981. Late in the 1940-ies he studied farm buildings in the US and in many European countries and initiated experiments with barn hay driers in the early phase.

Besides writing textbooks on farm buildings, he gave a remarkable input to the understanding, appreciation and inclusion of the cultural dimension of the farmstead, the buildings and their place in the landscape. He wrote or organized no less than five books and reports connected to the European Year of Architectural Conservation. After his retirement he first worked for the foundation of a separate museum for the history of the development in the Norwegian agriculture. Further he collected material and wrote a book on the historical development of agricultural build-ings in Norway from the Iron Age to the contemporary situation. He was also very actively involved in social activities and in local work for and among retired people. He kept and used his clear mind and great working capacity until the end. He will be remembered by his many friends.

(Prof. E. Berge, Prof. H. Lilleng, Prof. K.A. Lfken).

E-mail server for Working Group 13 'Air Quality Environment in Animal Houses'

Prof.Dr. G. Schauberger, Head of the Department Biometeorology at the Veterinary University of Vienna in Austria and member of CIGR Working Group 13 'Air Quality Environment in Animal Houses' has set up some pages for a WWW-server for the Working Group. The address to connect to this server is as follows:

http://www.vu-wien.ac.at/i115/

Everyone involved in this field of work is invited to exchange information via this e-mail server.

(communicated by Dr. Schauberger)

International Conference 'Harvest and Post-harvest Technologies for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables'

The International Conference on Harvest and Post-harvest Technologies for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables was held in Guanajuato, Mexico on 20-24 February 1995. Prof. G. Elias of Milano University attended this conference and reports to CIGR-Newsletter.

The Conference dealt with the technologies for the harvest and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables.

It was organized by ASAE and AMIA, the Mexican Association of Agricultural Engineering with the support of the local government and Guanajuato University and was attended by some 200 experts. During the conference 89 technical papers have been presented by researchers from 23 different countries.

Among the issues that have been dealt with, one can recall:

In addition, particular attention has been paid to the problems emerging from the implementation of the NAFTA agreement, recently signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

On the occasion of the opening ceremony, the attendants were addressed by, among others, Mr. Gail Janssen, ASAE President, Ing. Ramon Lobato Silva, AMIA President, and the Governor of the State of Guanayuato. Everyone highlighted the importance of closer relations at international level for the economic and technological development in this field.

The technical quality of the Conference is testified by the volume of proceedings that has been distributed. This volume - edited by L. Kushwaha, R. Serwatowski and R. Brook - comprises 625 pages and is published by ASAE.

(communicated by Prof. G. Elias)

Prof. O. Kitani, Incoming CIGR President, retired

Prof. Osamu Kitani, Incoming President of CIGR, retired from his position as Professor at the University of Tokyo at the end of March 1995. He was Head of the Laboratory of Agricultural Power, Energy and Machinery and has been very active in the research and education of agricultural machinery engineering, especially in the field of soil dynamics, tillage, automation, energy and biomass. He is President of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery (JSAM), Incoming President of CIGR, Member of the Science Council of Japan and Member of numerous advisory councils for science and technology in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Prof. Kitani obtained his B.Agr., M.Agr. and Dr.Agr. at the University of Tokyo and his Ph.D. at Michigan State University. In his academic career he was author or co-author of some 20 books, author of over 90 original papers and 30 articles.

Besides Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Agricultural Power, Energy and Machinery he was also Director of the Library of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Chairman of various Committees and Guest Professor and Associate Professor and Director of a number of Japanese Societies.

A party was given to celebrate his sixtieth anniversary and his retirement on March 23, 1995. On this occasion CIGR has sent a message of congratulations.

Congratulations and good health on behalf of CIGR! We are sure that the word 'retirement' is rather misplaced as Prof. Kitani will remain heavily involved in his professional field and in his position within CIGR.

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