SDZT Celebrated 30 Years of Its Existence

13. 2. 2024

At the Grand Hotel International in Prague, a ceremonial gathering was held to mark the 30th anniversary of the Association of Agricultural Machinery Importers (SDZT). Founded in 1994 during the first edition of the Techagro trade fair, the organization today brings together 43 members – authorized importers of agricultural, forestry, and municipal machinery representing 257 global brands. Over the past three decades, SDZT has established itself as a respected partner of Czech agriculture. Thanks to the activities of its member companies, modern machinery has become accessible to thousands of farmers, enabling a fundamental technological transformation of Czech agriculture.

Since its inception, the association has positioned itself as a professional organization defending the interests of its members towards state authorities, institutions, and the agricultural public. It provides information services, compiles sales statistics, and participates in the organization of trade fairs and field demonstrations.

Voice of the sector

Over the past three decades, SDZT members have delivered 43,826 tractors and 5,873 combine harvesters to the Czech Republic. Thanks to the import of top-class foreign technology and reliable service, Czech agriculture belongs among the most advanced in Europe.

“Our members were founded in the first half of the 1990s, so they are essentially the same age as the association itself,” said SDZT Chairman Tomáš Kvapil.

History and people

The association’s journey began on 13 January 1994 with a meeting initiated by Josef Šebela; the founding assembly followed on 28 April of the same year. The first official chairman, elected in 1996, was Pavel Kouřil, followed by Jiří Leden (2002), Petr Král (2004), and since 2016 the association has been led by Tomáš Kvapil.

General secretaries have also played an important role. The function was successively held by Václav Štursa, Antonín Mašek, Dušan Benža, and since 2024 the position has been taken over by Martin Jurkovič. During the anniversary evening, long-serving secretary Dušan Benža, who devoted his professional life to agricultural machinery and attended more than 120 trade fairs worldwide, officially bid farewell to his colleagues.

Celebration with industry guests

The anniversary celebration brought together representatives of state institutions, universities, exhibition centers, and partner organizations from Slovakia. Among the speakers was Deputy Minister of Agriculture Radek Lanč, who emphasized that modern machinery and precision technologies are key to the competitiveness of Czech agriculture as well as to attracting a younger generation to the sector.