AFRICA - Spintelligent, organiser of Land Forces Africa has launched an outdoor agriculture exhibition in Chisamba, in the hope that the show will “put Zambia on the map”.
More than 8,000 of the industry’s leading farmers, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, agents and service providers are expected to attend Agritech Expo on 4-5 April.
The inaugural event is to be held at the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) Research Centre, Chisamba, Zambia, and co-organised by Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU).
“Zambia is a nation on the rise, with an economy projected to be one of the ten fastest growing in the world between now and 2015,” said Agritech Expo event director Liam Beckett. “The expansion of small scale farming and the development of emerging and commercial farms are the key contributors to growth of the agriculture sector in Zambia.”
According to Beckett, Zambia’s agriculture sector accounts for 35 per cent of the nation’s GDP which equates to around US$4.5bn.
“The timing of Agritech Expo is therefore perfect,” he said. “It is a full-scale, live agriculture event offering everything from first-hand demonstrations of the latest in large scale agricultural machinery to live crop trials.”
Set on a 24 hectare site at the venue in Chisamba, Agritech Expo has seven live crop trials taking place at the event. The fields were planted in November 2013 and will be ready in April 2014. The crop trials will give visitors a first-hand opportunity to see the effects of agro chemicals on crop growth and development.
The outdoor expo will also feature dozens of agrochemicals, financial services, irrigation and livestock stands.
A one-day conference, the Agribusiness Congress, will also feature within the show, addressing key issues facing Zambian agriculture, including crop diversification, export and import regulations, innovative finance and supplier relationships.
“Agritech Expo puts Zambia on the map,” said Ndambo Ndambo, ZNFU executive director. “It is our first B2B international farming exhibition and positions Zambia at the same level as our regional partners.”
Spintelligent is also gearing up for its inaugural Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference (CBM-TEC) in April.
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