News Article – Saskatchewan Presence at Agritechnica – Agriculture News
News Article – Saskatchewan Presence at Agritechnica – Agriculture News
Agritechnica 2015
Canada is well represented at the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment in Hannover, Germany.
Nearly 60 Canadian companies are conducting business this week at Agritechnica, a bi-annual trade show that attracts 450,000 visitors from 88 countries. The majority are farm equipment manufacturers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but there are also companies from Alberta and Ontario.
About a dozen companies have their own displays with the remainder housed in one of three different Canadian pavillions. The largest one is led by Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP), a non-profit, membership driven, government/industry partnership, designed to promote the growth of Saskatchewan’s export industry. The other two pavillions are co-ordinated by Manitoba Trade and Investment.
Rob Ziola, STEP’s Senior Director-Manufacturing, says it can be daunting for a smaller company venturing into an international business trade show on their own.
“We are able to book, organize and lay everything out in an easy to participate manner for everyone and bring them under one roof.”
The Canadian flag is prominent because most buyers do not recognize provinces. STEP also hires seven interpreters who speak a total of 12 languages, including Russian, German, Spanish and French.
Saskatchewan’s large scale tillage and seeding equipment attracts buyers from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
“Our large equipment fits there best, but we exhibit at Agritechnica because they come to this show in large numbers and it’s a convenient way to meet with them,” Ziola says.
The Russian and Ukrainian economies have been going through difficult times, so it is a challenge to estimate future sales.
“Most of our companies know that these economies are volatile and have their ups and downs,” according to Ziola. “You have to stick with it and keep working with the distribution system in the market and hopefully things turn around in the next six to nine months.”
A growing number of Canadian farmers are also making the trip to Agritechnica. Some are there to buy equipment, but many are on working holidays to learn about the latest technology. Several ag input and equipment companies give away trips as prizes or as a reward to larger customers.
Written by Neil Billinger
Source – SasktoonHomepage.ca
November 12, 2015
