The spring stage of this oldest agricultural exhibition in Moldova is younger than its autumn counterpart (scheduled for October 15-18 this year). According to official calculations, this spring stage is the 47th edition, while unofficially it is the 45th jubilee edition. The discrepancies came from the fact that the exhibition has not been held in the spring every year since its establishment back in 1991. In particular, there was a break for the pandemic period. The difference is manifested not only in the age, but also in the character: the fall stage of Moldagrotech is combined with the Farmer exhibition-fair – with the aim to reach the mass audience, while the spring stage is a purely professional “inter-meeting” for businessmen-agrarians.
However, this year Moldagrotech Spring has a small but colorful area for the sale of seeds and seedlings for dacha growers, as well as nostalgic fruits of last year’s harvest of fruits, grapes and processed products for other visitors. There is the obligatory barbecue area – for the smell and the atmosphere in general.
Compactness is the trend of the times
Nevertheless, at first impression, the exhibition has become more compact in every sense. Location: only one pavilion and two adjacent open-air courts. Content: the transition from large to small forms is noticeable to the naked eye. The emphasis is shifted from very large and large agricultural machinery to medium and small agricultural machinery, from powerful combines and tractors to small and specialized machinery and equipment (including irrigation and crop sorting/processing/processing). Western brands of the “first level” are to be counted on fingers, but there are many new “faces and types” from South-Eastern Europe and Asia.
“This is also the trend of the time,” notes one of the exhibitors, who is presenting (on a small stand) large soil tillage units of one of the leading European brands. – Over the decades, large agricultural producers of Moldova have modernized their agricultural machinery fleet thinly or thinly, but only regularly renew it. But small farmers have not yet satisfied the “growing appetite” for mechanization and automation of their, albeit small, but already agricultural production, which is becoming professional. The change of participants and visitors of the show is a normal process, in my opinion – even useful. The problem of “old exhibitions” is that their regulars become “too smart people”, whose problem is their satiety and critical attitude to everything new. That’s why a ‘draught’ is necessary.
Authorities promise support for farmers
Zinaida Popa, Moldexpo Director, emphasized this point in her welcoming speech at the opening of Moldagrotech Spring: “about 20% of the exhibitors are new participants”. And she expressed her deep gratitude for the support of all. MAIA Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry – first of all.
In turn, the head of MAIA Ludmila Catlabuga said some warm words to the agrarians at the official inauguration ceremony of Moldagrotech Spring. And the ones they especially want to hear today: the government is preparing measures of fiscal and financial support for agriculture, including through the reimbursement of excise duties and VAT.
