Overview
- The fair opens Friday for its 90th edition, with organisers expecting about 325,000 visitors through January 25 in Berlin.
- Farmers’ association chief Joachim Rukwied calls current market prices “disastrous,” citing pork at €1.45 per kilogram and grain below early‑1980s levels.
- Rukwied urges cost relief, less bureaucracy and sector‑specific rules on minimum wage, pointing to competitive pressures versus other EU producers.
- The food industry reports a contrasting picture, with 2025 revenues near €242 billion, roughly 4% higher year over year, though firms see worsening site conditions in Germany.
- This centenary edition underscores the fair’s evolution from Nazi‑era propaganda co‑option to an international forum that now spotlights sustainability debates and draws regular civil society protests.