(DLG International). From 9 to 12 October, the All-Russian Exhibition Centre (VVC) in Moscow hosted the international exhibition for agricultural machinery AgroTech Russia. Here some 34,000 m2 of floor space were given over to the latest technology and management systems that could lend Russian agriculture a competitive edge. More than 22,000 expert visitors gathered information from 512 agri-sector businesses and organisations from 29 different countries. AgroTech Russia is one of the biggest and most important information platforms in Russia. As in the past, the event again took place as part of the renowned Russian agricultural exhibition ‘Golden Autumn’ which was opened by the Russian Federation’s Minister of Agriculture, Nikolai Fjodorow. Other high-ranking visitors to AgroTech Russia 2012 included the Parliamentary State Secretary from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), Peter Bleser, and the Director-General of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Petrus Hoogeveen. AgroTech Russia is organised by the Moscow-based International Exhibition Centre (VVC) and DLG International GmbH from Frankfurt am Main.
This year AgroTech Russia focused on seed production, plant protection and fertilisers as well as harvest storage and transport. And the exhibitors excelled themselves, showcasing a very significant range of new technologies. Other priorities included machinery for soil cultivation, sowing and plant care along with feed processing, sugar-beet and potato-harvesting technology. Furthermore this year was the first time AgroTech Russia featured options from the bioenergy sector.
High international participation
A trade-mark of AgroTech Russia is the large number of foreign exhibitors (45 per cent). And there was no mistaking China’s heightened interest in AgroTech Russia this year (51 companies). With a total of 42 companies in attendance, Germany had the second strongest contingent. A large number of companies also came from the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Poland and the USA. Russia‘s neighbours, Belarus and Ukraine, also presented a large range of machines, systems and equipment. Germany, the Netherlands and Hungary each had large joint stands.
High-class technical programme
This year too, the technical programme at AgroTech Russia gave visitors an excellent platform for discussing topical issues. One of the most outstanding events here was a business dialogue on the development of Russian agriculture in line with WTO terms and conditions. According to the international experts taking part, it is extremely important to innovate agricultural production. And the business dialogue concluded that, under the WTO framework especially, Russia should mobilise state-of-the-art technology to enhance productivity and general competitiveness. The experts also stated that Russia’s large-scale agricultural potential continued to offer very good perspectives for investment. In their opinion, it is through cooperation with other countries that Russia will be best be able to move onto a new phase of development.
Other conferences, panel discussions and rounds of talks focused on agricultural modernisation using innovative technologies, on government-backed measures in the plant production sector for the years 2013 to 2020 and on matters relating to plant breeding.
The next AgroTech Russia is scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 October 2013 again at the All-Russian Exhibition Centre (VVC) in Moscow.
Source: DLG
