Planned investments in buildings, animal husbandry and equipment technology 
in the next 12 months 

Who wants to invest and who is holding back? In the current "Chart of the Month" from DLG-Agrifuture Insights, we summarize the investment plans of livestock farmers.

As part of the current Agrifuture Insights study from November 2023 to the beginning of January 2024, farmers in Germany and abroad were asked about their investment plans for the next twelve months. Livestock farms willing to invest in particular are planning replacement investments in buildings, animal husbandry and system technology.

In contrast to other livestock farmers, new investments account for a larger share among dairy farmers. Dairy farms willing to invest want to invest in particular in optimized feeding (47%), the treatment, storage and spreading of liquid manure (40%) and the optimization of barn equipment (40%), including, for example, comfort mattresses or rubber flooring on walkways.

Pig farmers, on the other hand, see no planning certainty and difficult political framework conditions, which is why they mainly invest in replacements rather than new or expansion investments. Pig farmers willing to invest are primarily planning investments in the areas of emissions and climate impact to improve energy efficiency (35%) as well as in the area of animal welfare and animal health in the conversion of the breeding center (29%) and in employment opportunities (28%).

Poultry farmers also have to contend with planning uncertainty and difficult political conditions. Nevertheless, the growth trend for poultry is unbroken, meaning that farms are primarily planning to invest in expansion. Poultry farmers who would like to invest in the next 12 months are planning to do so in particular in the construction of stables themselves (36%), in optimized feeding (35%) and in direct marketing (30%). However, 27% are also planning to invest in the use of renewable energy sources. As chicken rearing, for example, is very energy-intensive, energy costs can be saved in this way, thus reducing costs in the long term.

DLG-Agrifuture Insights – a comprehensive view on agricultural development

DLG-Agrifuture Insights is the DLG knowledge brand and platform for international trend analyses in the agricultural sector. It examines the business environment in agriculture in Germany and worldwide. For this purpose, farmers and people from agribusiness, science and consulting are surveyed annually on their assessments of the economic situation and development of agricultural businesses, as well as technology trends and innovations in the individual business sectors. A total of 3,336 people took part in the current survey in winter 2023/24, around 1,300 of them from abroad.