Ribeirão Preto expects more than US$ 368 million with Agrishow
DCI - 04/10/2008
From April 28th to May 3rd, when it hosts the International Fair of the Agricultural Technology in Action (Agrishow), Ribeirão Preto becomes the capital of the agricultural business world. Last year, 140 thousand people visited the event and the fair registered financial activity around R$ 710 million (US$ 367.9 million), 42% of growth compared to 2005. For 2008, the expectation is to surpass these figures, in the wake of the good moment the agricultural sector is living. "The agricultural setting has a positive horizon", said Agrishow's new president, Roberto Rodrigues, former minister of Agriculture. According to Rodrigues, the moment for the agribusiness, with news of record harvest and renegotiation of farmers' debts are positive indicators for the sector and stimulate investments in technology to improve competitiveness. He announced that, as an innovation, the family agriculture will be part of the Fair this year. The forecast for Latin America's biggest agribusiness exhibit is of better results than those reached in the last two years, based on the increase of the number of exhibitors, on the setting of continued growth of the agricultural sector, on the big world interest for the national etanol, and on the technological innovations that will be presented by the exhibiting companies. The 2008 edition of the Agrishow should attract large numbers of purchasers from all producing regions of São Paulo and its neighboring states, such as Paraná, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais - and also from Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás, Tocantins, as well as the sugar cane, grains and fruits producers of the Northeast. More than 2500 potential foreign clients from Latin America, Europe, the United States, and Asia are expected. The estimate is to receive more than 135 thousand visitors. From the 240 ha of farm area where the Agrishow is traditionally held, 100 ha will be destined to the fields of dynamic demonstrations. There will be more than one thousand demonstrations during the fair, comprising the coffee, sugarcane, corn, beans, soybean and forage crops. A total of 745 expositors (90% of its commercialized area) are going to exhibit between 2,500 and 3,000 products of the most advanced world technology and a considerable array of services to agricultural producers. 45 foreign exhibitors will be present, promising to exhibit modern and new technologies in the agribusiness segment. It is estimated that more than 5 thousand people should work in the assembly of the fair and that 25 thousand people should render services during its realization.