A full calendar of events

The exhibition of agricultural machinery for the Mediterranean is approaching its October appointment with a packed calendar of conferences, seminars and workshops. The focus of the event will be on policies and strategies for the development of the region's agricultural economies, as well as technical topics with in-depth studies by universities, sector publishers, and trade associations

Agrilevante, the major exhibition of machinery and technology for the primary sector, which will hold its seventh edition in Bari, will turn the spotlight on the salient issues in Mediterranean agriculture. In addition to being an important event of a promotional and commercial nature, the event organised at the Fiera del Levante by FederUnacoma (the Italian association of agricultural machinery manufacturers) has always been a forum where public decision-makers, economic operators, and trade associations discuss development policies and strategies for the Mediterranean agricultural sector and the Balkan-Danubian area. This is precisely what will be discussed at the Agrilevante press conference, to be held on Wednesday 4 October at 17:30 (the day before the opening of the turnstiles) at the Congress Centre of the Bari exhibition centre. The conference will present a wide-ranging analysis of trends in agricultural economies and the demand for agricultural technologies in the various countries in the region, from the most advanced to those still lacking in mechanisation. The development of Mediterranean agriculture, which together with innovation is the strong theme of Agrilevante 2023, will be the focus of a meeting entitled "Agriculture in North Africa: characteristics, potential and technological needs", to be held on Friday 6 October at the Congress Centre. Organised by FederUnacoma, Ciheam and the magazine Africa e Affari published by Internationalia, the conference will open a wide-ranging window on the agricultural and agro-mechanical sector in North African countries, with the aim of highlighting their experiences and priorities but also suggesting possible lines of action to strengthen their respective agricultural economies.

In addition to issues of an economic-political nature, the seventh edition of Agrilevante will cover numerous technical topics at meetings organised by universities, specialist publishers and trade associations. These include the conference entitled "Meeting on the circular economy" promoted by the University of Bari (5 October) and the seminar entitled "Workshop on innovation in mechanics and plant engineering applied to agro-food and forestry biosystems" (5 October), organised by the University of Foggia and the University of Bologna, which will also see the awarding of the Guarneri Montel prize. The four-day event in Bari will also include in-depth discussions on olive growing, such as the seminar entitled "Climate change: impact on income and yields in olive growing" (6 October) organised by Informatore Agrario; the meeting "Olive growing in Apulia: what solutions for a possible revival, from genetics to super-intensive" (6 October) organised by New Business Media, CNR, University of Bari and Rivista Olivo & Olio; the meeting "Viticulture and olive growing between tradition, innovation and sustainability", organised by the University of Basilicata and FederUnacoma (6 October). Also scheduled for Friday 6 October, the press conference presenting Agriumbria and the General Meeting of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering, while CAI Agromec will hold a seminar on the role of agromechanical operators for the future of agriculture.

The spotlight at Agrilevante will also be on agro-energy, with the set of appointments scheduled between 5 and 8 October by the Italian Biomass Association - Itabia, and on professional training, with initiatives planned in the Desk area. In this area, during the days of the event there will be a programme aimed at students at agricultural institutes and industrial technical institutes in Puglia and Basilicata, including guided tours, meetings, and seminars. These include those on livestock farming 4.0, drones, robotics, and the diversification of agricultural activities aimed at improving the profitability of businesses in the primary sector.