The 17th Azerbaijan International Agriculture Exhibition Caspian Agro, the largest agricultural exhibition of the region, started its work at Baku Expo Center on May 15.
In parallel with Caspian Agro, the 29th Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition InterFood Azerbaijan was held at Baku Expo Center. The exhibitions are organized by Caspian Event Organisers and its partners Caspian Event Management and ICA Events. The exhibitions are actively supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Association of Exhibition Organizers of Azerbaijan (ASTA).
The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Majnun Mammadov, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Igor Petrishenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Goshgar Tahmazli, Chairman of the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan, Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, Alisher Shukurov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Yusif Abdullayev, the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO), Muhammad Nasar Hayat, Head of FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, Edward Strawn, CEO of ICA Group, and Farid Mammadov, General Director of Caspian Event Organisers.
The state pays great attention to the development of the agricultural sector, said Majnun Mammadov, Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, at the opening of the exhibitions. Priorities in this area include not only machinery and new technologies but also the environmental component, climate change issues, and the impact of the environment on the agricultural sector. The Minister stressed that the Caspian Agro exhibition will provide an opportunity for a broad discussion of these issues, which are of interest to the majority of participants. According to the Minister, farmers who visited the exhibition were provided with a wide range of products and services, including modern equipment, irrigation systems, technological solutions, and an effective method of servicing farmers.
Igor Petrischenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, shared his positive impressions of Azerbaijan's dynamic development and emphasised the great attention the state pays to the development of agriculture. Belarus is the most active participant in the Caspian Agro and InterFood exhibitions every year. Mr. Petrischenko noted that this year more than forty companies from our country are presenting meat, dairy products, confectionery, fish, alcoholic beverages, fertilisers, chemicals for plant treatment, veterinary products, and agricultural machinery. The 2024 exhibitions will be the birthplace of new business ideas that will open up new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, he concluded.
Mr Goshgar Tahmazli, Chairman of the Food Safety Agency, highlighted the scale of the opening exhibition as an indicator of the state's attention to the development of the agricultural and food sectors of the economy. According to Mr Tahmazli, the safety of agricultural and food products, including plant and animal health, is one of the most important factors in the development of these sectors of the economy. Azerbaijan evidently demonstrates its achievements and reports significant progress in this area.
Orhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, expressed his confidence that the exhibitions will be useful for both visitors and entrepreneurs. KOBIA is presenting a large stand with more than ten entrepreneurs displaying a variety of products. There is no doubt that exhibition marketing will contribute to the promotion of these goods and services.
Alisher Shukurov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, welcomed the organisers and participants of this global event on behalf of the Uzbek government. Mr Shukurov noted that this event is one of the most important in the series of events and exhibitions related to the agricultural sector and food industry. Caspian Agro and InterFood are important events for Azerbaijan that also catalyze the promotion of modern technologies at the local, regional, and global levels, acting as a single platform for establishing cooperation. Having actively participated in this exhibition for many years, business representatives of Uzbekistan have strengthened cooperation between our countries.
Yusif Abdullayev, Executive Director of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), said his agency organises exhibitions in many countries around the world, on every continent. We know from our own experience how much effort it takes to set up even a small exhibition stand," he said. Holding such a large event as this exhibition was a great success and everybody involved in its organisation deserves our gratitude. AZPROMO will present its stand at the exhibition, showcasing export organisation and investment attraction opportunities and services. Mr. Abdullayev expressed his confidence that the exhibition will continue to develop and emphasised his readiness to assist in its organisation.
Muhammad Nasar Hayat, a representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Azerbaijan, spoke of the organisation's long-standing support for the exhibition. He noted the prospects for this year's exhibition, which is an important year for Azerbaijan to showcase its potential as a country with developed agriculture. This exhibition reflects achievements in various sectors, including livestock, poultry, and agriculture with a focus on digitalisation. All professionals, farmers, consumers, and the private sector will have the opportunity to exchange information, share experiences, and get immediate answers to their questions.
Edward Strawn, Chief Executive Officer of the ICA Group, presented the traditional statistical data of both exhibitions, thanked the sponsors and partners of the event, and wished all participants a successful work.
Particular attention is given by the state to the industries included in the exhibitions. For many years, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has been visiting the "Caspian Agro" and "InterFood Azerbaijan" exhibitions.
For the first time this year, a new fourth hall has been utilised at the Baku Expo Centre. Consequently, the exhibitions will be larger, spanning all four halls and open spaces of the Baku Expo Centre. Approximately
500 companies from 38 countries will participate in the exhibitions. The scale of the exhibitions has increased by 10% compared to last year.
This year Caspian Agro once again brought together leading participants of the agro-industrial complex, domestic and foreign experts, importers, exporters, distributors of agricultural products, representatives of wholesale and retail trade, as well as many thousands of professional visitors, including farmers.
Among the foreign participants are companies from Belarus, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, USA and Estonia. Representatives of Turkmenistan and Venezuela are taking part for the first time.
The main sections of Caspian Agro, which will last three days, include agricultural machinery, agricultural facilities and equipment, irrigation system, packaging, innovative technologies in agriculture, livestock and poultry, greenhouse, feeds, veterinary, plant breeding, fertilizer, fruit and vegetable growing.
Traditionally, bilateral business meetings (B2B and B2G) will be held as part of the exhibitions. Here, representatives of international and local businesses will be able to speak face-to-face about potential cooperation and methods of future partnerships. Additionally, representatives of private companies will have the chance to engage with representatives of state agencies within the context of bilateral business discussions.
At the exhibition to be held in 2024, the "GreenAgroHack" hackathon will be held for the first time under the "Year of Solidarity for the Green World" organized by the Agrarian Innovation Center. Teams of computer programmers, interface designers, and software developers will collaborate to find agricultural technology solutions and build new projects in the aforementioned competition. The winners will be awarded with cash and other valuable prizes.
Every year the organizers arrange tours of the exhibition for farmers who get acquainted with the latest industrial innovations and international experience. This year Caspian Agro will be visited by over five hundred farmers from forty-two regions of Azerbaijan.
The program of exhibitions includes the traditional National Culinary Championship "Golden Shah". The International Cup will be held for the first time within the framework of this championship. A total of 8 international teams, 24 local teams and more than 100 individual participants will take part in the championship.
The business program includes discussion and analysis of the concept of Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change in terms of finding effective ways to reduce harmful impact on the environment. This concept aims to create a balance between increasing agricultural production and protecting the environment at the same time. The concept of sustainable intensification of agriculture and climate change is also reflected in the logo of the exhibition.
The sponsors of the Caspian Agro exhibition are traktor.az, Rostselmash and STP.
AZ
EN
RU
