EuroTier 2026: Gold for Autonomous Manure Removal System

<p>The <strong>EuroTier</strong> in Hanover has long been regarded as the most important international trade fair for animal husbandry – and in November 2026, it will once again show where the industry is heading technologically. It is already certain that an award presented by the <strong>DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft)</strong> will go to a system that could fundamentally change pig farming.</p>

<h2>Pig-Barn-Cleaner: Autonomous Manure Removal for Greater Animal Welfare</h2> <p>Gold goes to the <strong>«Pig-Barn-Cleaner»</strong> – an autonomous, fully automatic system for pen-specific manure removal in pig barns. What is innovative about it: The system does not work generically for the entire barn, but responds individually to the needs of each pen. This development sets a new standard in automated stable technology and fits into the trend of increasingly digitalizing and automating routine work in animal husbandry.</p> <p>For farm operations, such technology potentially means less manual labor, more consistent barn hygiene, and thus advantages for animal health. The DLG jury honored this holistic approach with the gold medal: the combination of autonomy, precision, and practical applicability convinced the experts.</p>

<h2>More Gold Medals: SmartCalving and CatiBovin</h2> <p>The Pig-Barn-Cleaner is not the only innovation awarded gold this year. <strong>«SmartCalving»</strong> also received the highest DLG award. The application combines animal monitoring, climate data, and stable technology into an automated calving solution – another example of how sensors and data analysis are converging in livestock farming to better support critical moments such as birth.</p> <p>A third gold medal went to <strong>CatiBovin</strong> by PerformaNat GmbH, a feeding solution with phytogenic active ingredients that activate natural TRP channels in the rumen. These channels are involved, among other things, in the uptake of calcium and nitrogen. According to the company, trial and practical results show increases in milk production of <strong>5 to 10 percent</strong>, depending on the ration and starting situation. The award was announced on September 22, 2026, in Berlin/Offenbach and emphasizes that innovations at EuroTier are far from limited to stable technology, but also concern the feeding and metabolism management of farm animals.</p>

<h3>An Innovation Boost for the Entire Industry</h3> <p>These three gold awards exemplify the direction modern animal husbandry is heading: toward greater automation, more precise data utilization, and more resource-efficient feeding concepts. The DLG traditionally awards the Innovation Awards before EuroTier, generating attention in professional circles months before the actual fair. For exhibitors and visitors, this is an important signal: those who travel to Hanover in November will not only get a showcase of the industry, but direct access to the technologies that could shape everyday life on agricultural farms in the coming years.</p> <p>The Pig-Barn-Cleaner in particular is likely to be a hot topic in the fair halls. Autonomous systems, previously known mainly from milking technology or feeding systems, are now conquering the field of barn hygiene with this development – an area that long seemed labor-intensive and difficult to automate.</p>

<h2>Conclusion and Outlook</h2> <p>This year's gold medals from the EuroTier Innovation Awards make clear that animal husbandry is undergoing a noticeable transformation. Autonomous manure removal systems like the Pig-Barn-Cleaner, intelligent calving solutions like SmartCalving, and novel feeding concepts like CatiBovin represent an industry that is increasingly thinking digitalization and animal welfare together. When EuroTier opens its doors in Hanover in November, the practical implementation of these technologies is likely to be the focus of the professional audience – and with it, the question of how quickly such innovations will establish themselves in broader agricultural practice.