Italian agricultural mechanics for East African primary sector
Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda these were the three stages of the promotional event that between 15 and 22 March involved some of the best-known brands of Italian agricultural mechanics. The 46th edition of EIMA International was also presented during the road show
A road show dedicated to the presentation of Italian excellence in the agricultural mechanics sector and the launch of EIMA International. This is what took place in Central and Eastern Africa from 15 to 22 March and involved three countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. Leading the way was the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, where FederUnacoma deputy general manager Fabio Ricci held a press conference opened by the director of the local ICE office, Riccardo Zucconi. “I believe that in Ethiopia, a country where agriculture plays a predominant role in the economy, there is a need to develop local agricultural enterprises, whether large or small, with adequate mechanisation, able to make local crops productive, ecological and quality, for the necessary food self-sufficiency and for export,” Zucconi said. During his speech, Deputy Director Ricci stressed the contribution that Italian industries in the sector are making to the development of Ethiopian agriculture. “Italy is Ethiopia’s second largest supplier of agricultural technology with a market share of 13.4%. In 2022 the value of our exports has exceeded the threshold of 8 million euros, generated - Fabio Ricci said - mainly by items related to tillage machinery (55%) and tractors (11%).” Analyst forecasts indicate that 2023, for which final figures are not yet available, should mark a general decline in our sector exports. However – says the ExportPlanning Research Institute – in the short and medium term, cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia could benefit from the general resumption of trade in the sector between the African country and the rest of the world, which is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.4% over the next four years.
Spotlight on Tanzania. On 18 and 19 March it was the turn of Dar Es Salaam, capital of Tanzania, where a cognitive and promotional event dedicated to Made in Italy mechanisation took place. Organised by the ICE Agency and the FederUnacoma Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, the event saw the participation of well-known brands in the sector, who illustrated to Tanzanian farmers, importers and technicians the most suitable technological solutions to meet their needs. In the afternoon of March 18, at the end of the presentation, business to business meetings were held between the industries present and the operators of the African country, which thus had the opportunity to establish a direct line with Italian companies. The following day, March 19, involved participants in several visits to some importers and distributors of agricultural machinery, which allowed manufacturers to learn about the characteristics of the distribution network in the country. The two days of Dar es Salaam was therefore an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Italy and the African country also in the agricultural mechanics sector. “Tanzania sees in the agricultural sector a very important resource that – said the Italian ambassador to Dar es Salaam Marco Lombardi opening the meeting on March 18 - represents 60% of its GDP. The demand for agri-tech is constantly growing in this country. I therefore believe that FederUnacoma’s mission is in line with the logic of win-win collaborations that characterises Italy’s action towards Tanzania and the African Continent.” The demand for technologies for agriculture in Tanzania is met mainly through the instrument of imports, which – it was pointed out by FederUnacoma Deputy Director Fabio Ricci – in 2022 increased by 72.7% compared to the previous year, reaching a total value of 147 million euros. “In 2022, Italy was Tanzania’s twelfth largest supplier of agricultural machinery, with a market share that is still far from that of its main competitors but is still catching up. Between 2018 and 2022 - Fabio Ricci has remembered - the value of our exports is more than tripled in value, highlighting a significant incremental course that we consider can continue also in the near future". Tanzania, like Ethiopia, is also expected to see a significant increase in agricultural machinery imports in the coming years, estimated to grow at an average annual rate of 7.5%. The short- and medium-term scenario therefore seems to favour a consolidation of trade relations with Italy. “Our manufacturers mainly export tillage machinery (41%); planting, transplanting and fertilising equipment (28%); materials handling technology (8%) and tractors (5%). But – Ricci added – the goal is to extend and strengthen trade to other market segments.”
The stage in Uganda. The road show ended on 21 and 22 March in Kampala, Uganda, with the same format proposed in Dar es Salaam: a cognitive and promotional event, followed by a field visit at importers and distributors of agricultural machinery. The Italian state representative in Uganda, Ambassador Mauro Massoni, opened the 21st meeting, stressing the strategic importance of the agricultural sector for global stability. “Never before, in recent years, characterised by the global health crisis, tensions in the Red Sea and the multiplication of international conflicts, has agriculture emerged as a highly strategic sector, fundamental not only for food security but also for the management of natural resources and for the economic and political stability of each country. Cooperation in the agricultural field between Uganda and Italy – Massoni said – is today a priority, a central theme on the political agenda of the two countries, also reiterated by Prime Minister Meloni during the Italy-Africa Summit.” In Uganda, as in Ethiopia and Tanzania, the demand for agricultural technologies is mainly guaranteed by imports, which in 2022 reached 35 million euros (+20% on 2021). An important part of these imports was ensured by Made in Italy, with particular reference to the livestock and soil processing sectors. “In 2022 Italy was the eighth largest supplier of agricultural machinery to Uganda, with a market share of 4.2%, which is still far from that of its main competitors but which is still recovering positions. Between 2018 and 2021 - Ricci recalled - the value of our exports increased by 126%. The incremental trend seems to be confirmed also in 2023 that, after the bending of 2022, has seen a resumption of our export (+16.6% between January and November)". Also for Uganda, Exportplanning expects export growth from an average annual rate of 8% until 2027.
EIMA 2024, a strategic event for Central and Eastern Africa. In this perspective, the 46th edition of EIMA International represents an important platform for cooperation between Italy and the three African countries. In the 14 sectors of specialisation and in the 5 thematic exhibitions of the event (Components, Digital, Energy, Green, Idrotech), where more than 50 thousand models of machines, equipment and components for agriculture and green care are exhibited, buyers from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda will be able to find the most suitable solutions for every type of processing, from seeding to plant protection treatments to harvesting. Of particular interest is the Idrotech show where the most innovative irrigation technologies are exhibited; systems that can optimise and make the consumption of water resources more sustainable. Delegations from the three countries of Central and Eastern Africa, whose incoming is organised by the ICE Agency, are also expected in Bologna. Precisely on the subject of internationalisation, during the road show the director of the Addis Ababa office (also responsible for Tanzania and Uganda), stressed the long and consolidated collaboration between FederUnacoma. “The Agency, which has always supported the international promotion of the EIMA Fair in Bologna, which since 1969 - added Zucconi - has helped to promote the internationalisation of Italian companies, has promoted and disseminated the excellence of the Italian agricultural mechanisation sector and helped the development of the agricultural sector in many countries.” On the other hand, it was also thanks to the support of ICE that the EIMA of 2022 registered record numbers. “Our Agency has made a fundamental contribution to this success decreed by 327,000 visitors, 57 thousand of whom are foreign. In particular, the ICE Agency encouraged and organised the participation of 400 delegates from all over the world. The Addis Ababa office alone – Director Zucconi recalled – selected and invited to EIMA International 27 operators from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia. Also for the next November edition, the Agency will be directly involved, through its network of 70 offices worldwide, in the selection of economic operators to be invited to the fair.” Wide range and specialisation are not the only strengths of an event like EIMA International, which has always been characterised by high-innovation content and focus on salient issues for agriculture around the world, with a rich calendar of thematic insights that will accompany the 5 days of the event from 6 to 10 November.
