Founded in 1994 in Ribeirão Preto (313 km from São Paulo), Agrishow (International Fair of Agricultural Technology in Action) stood out on the national scene for creating an event that allowed rural producers not only to see the static machines in the stands, but also know how they are performing in the field.
But not all of them are big and can afford to pay R$2 million or R$3 million for a piece of equipment.
Of the 400,000 rural properties in São Paulo, 188,000 have less than 20 hectares (the equivalent of 28 football fields), according to the São Paulo Department of Agriculture.
According to Abimaq (Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Industry), from 25% to 30% of the R$ 80 billion in deals closed last year involved family farmers.
“Technologies evolve faster every year, and the industry makes a great effort to bring them to the small as well”, said Pedro Estevão, president of the Sectorial Chamber of Machines and Implements at Abimaq.
Among the major manufacturers, at this year’s fair, Valtra will have an 80 hp, cab-mounted tractor developed for this audience. The focus is to be technological, economical and versatile, to be used in crops such as corn, rice, soybeans and citrus.
Secretary of Agriculture of São Paulo and president of Agrishow, Francisco Matturro said that commodity prices remain high in general and it is necessary to think about the producer “who does not reach the Chicago Stock Exchange”. The American stock exchange is a reference in the world for the commercialization of agricultural commodities.
“Many times we treat Agrishow as a fair for big producers, but those who don’t look at it are wrong. [para os pequenos]. All booths have smaller machines, aimed at small properties,” he said.
A survey carried out by the fair’s organization shows that 42% of visitors are farmers, followed by agronomists and agricultural technicians (18%), consultants (10%) and veterinarians (4%).
Agrishow will be held between this Monday (25th) and Friday (29th) in Ribeirão, with a forecast of receiving 150 thousand visitors. A good part of them will be at the fair from caravans organized by rural unions and entities such as Faesp (Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of São Paulo).
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