Foreign markets and cooperation projects are Agrilevante's strong points
A large number of meetings devoted to diplomats, foreign delegations and international business people allowed the exhibitors to know the specific demands of agriculture in each country and to develop cooperation projects and business relationships. Mediterrenean and Sub-Saharan countries were widely represented
The international cooperation and the foreign markets' development were the main topics at Agrilevante, an exhibition that aims to be a "platform" for the promotion of mechanization in the wide area covering Southern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, Northern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
During the four days of the trade fair, the focus was on the meetings with political and business representatives which produced an exchange of information and business contacts for the exhibitors. The main subject was on Sub-Saharan agriculture, with the visit of 19 ambassadors and diplomats on behalf of 15 African countries (Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Etiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) with the purpose of viewing what the sector has to offer in terms of machinery for all kinds of agriculture. The presence of the African ambassadors – welcomed at the end of a visit to the pavilions by the President of FederUnacoma Massimo Goldoni and the President of the Levante Trade Fair Patroni Griffi, who illustrated Agrilevante's features and its outstanding role in the promotion of mechanization for the Mediterranean and the African regions – has to be considered as a part of a promotional programme of an Italian model of quality in agriculture and nutrition developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (IAM) and Slow Food.
The programme involved elements related to agronomic techniques, agricultural and food production and mechanization. In this context, the President of the Fair Patroni Griffi highlighted the strategic value of an event such as Agrilevante, not only under the technical but also the cultural and social perspectives.
The President of the IAM Cosimo Lacirignola explained that the projects of cooperation have to be developed by adapting the technologies to the real demands of the participants. Devoted to internationality was also the meeting "business-to-business", sponsored by the Ministry of the Economic Development and FederUnacoma, devoted to businesspeople and aimed to develop business relationships with the exhibitors.
The meetings were focused on the demands illustrated by businesspeople from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Northern Africa, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania. The Albanian delegation was accompanied by the Vice Minister for Agriculture, Rural Develpoment and Water Management Alban Zusi who, with his presence, wanted to highlight the importance given by his country to the agricultural sector in Albania.
The Trade Fair was also attended by a delegation of technicians from the Libanese Ministry of Agriculture involved in a cooperation project on olive oil. The international appeal of Agrilevante goes beyond the Mediterranean as well as European and African areas with specific initiatives of cooperation for each country, a prime example being the one concerning the Islands of Mauritius, involving Italy in an educational programme for agricultural technicians.
During the second day of Agrievolution, a group of 33 Mauritian technicians, accompanied by their Vice Minister Shakeel Mohamed visited the exhibition, completing the training at the IAM, aimed towards the preparation of qualified professionals capable of finding job opportunities in our country in the agricultural sector.
