Agricultural machinery. Made in Italy protagonist in Tanzania

Italian agricultural mechanics was the focus of a cognitive and promotional event that was held on 18 and 19 March in the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam. Organised by the Italian Trade Agency and FederUnacoma, the Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, the event saw the participation of well-known brands in the agro-mechanical sector, who showed Tanzanian farmers, importers and technicians the most suitable technological solutions to meet their mechanisation needs. In the afternoon of March 18, at the end of the presentation, business to business meetings were held between the participating companies and the operators of the African country, which thus had the opportunity to establish a direct line with Italian companies. The following day, March 19, involved participants in several visits to some importers and distributors of agricultural machinery, thus being able to learn about the characteristics of the distribution network for the agricultural machinery sector in the country. The two-day event in Dar es Salaam was therefore an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Italy and the African country also in the agricultural mechanic’s sector. “Tanzania sees in the agricultural sector a very important resource that – said the Italian Ambassador to Dar es Salaam Marco Lombardi opening the meeting on March 18 - represents 60% of its GDP. The demand for agri-tech is constantly growing in this country. I therefore believe that FederUnacoma’ mission is in line with the logic of win-win collaborations featuring Italy’s action towards Tanzania and the African Continent”.

In Tanzania, the demand for agricultural technologies is met mainly through the instrument of imports, which – it was pointed out by FederUnacoma Deputy Director Fabio Ricci – in 2022 increased by 72.7% compared to the previous year, reaching a total value of 147 million euros. An important part of these imports was ensured by Made in Italy. “In 2022, Italy was Tanzania’s twelfth largest supplier of agricultural machinery, with a market share that is still far from that of its main competitors but is still catching up. Between 2018 and 2022 - Fabio Ricci has explained - the value of our exports is more than tripled in value, highlighting a significant incremental course that we consider can continue also in the near future". Estimates provided by research institute ExportPlanning indicate that Tanzania’s agricultural machinery imports from the rest of the world are expected to continue to grow over the next four years, with an average annual rate of 7.5%. The short and medium term scenario therefore seems to be particularly favourable to a consolidation of trade relations between Italy and Tanzania. “Italian manufacturers mainly export machinery for tillage (41%); equipment for sowing, transplanting and fertilising (28%); materials handling technologies (8%) and tractors (5%). But – added Ricci – the goal is to extend and strengthen trade to other market segments.”

In this perspective, the 46th edition of EIMA International - the world exhibition of agricultural mechanics to be held in Bologna from 6 to 10 November and organised by FederUnacoma - represents an important platform for Italian-Tanzanian cooperation. In the 14 sectors of specialisation and in the 5 thematic showcases of the event (Components, Digital, Energy, Green, Idrotech), where more than 50 thousand models of machines, equipment and components for agriculture and green care are exhibited, buyers from the African country will be able to find the most suitable solutions for every type of activity, from seeding to plant protection treatments to harvesting. Of particular interest to Tanzanian agriculture is the Idrotech show where the most innovative irrigation technologies are exhibited; systems that can optimise and make water consumption more sustainable. In addition to Tanzanian farmers, technicians and operators, an official delegation is also expected at EIMA International, whose incoming, organised by ICE Agency, is being planned. "I believe that, especially in Tanzania, a country in which agriculture plays a predominant role in the economy, there is a need to develop local agricultural enterprises, whether large or small, with adequate agricultural mechanisation, able - said the director of the ICE Office of Addis Ababa Riccardo Zucconi speaking at the two-day event in Dar es Salaam - to make local crops productive, ecological and quality, for the necessary food self-sufficiency and for export. I am convinced that the Bologna event can contribute to the strengthening of the agricultural economy of the African country”.

During his speech, the Director of ICE in Addis Ababa (also responsible for Tanzania) stressed the importance of collaboration between the Agency and FederUnacoma. “The Agency, which has always supported the international promotion of the EIMA Fair in Bologna, which since 1969 - added Zucconi - helped to facilitate the internationalization of Italian companies, promoted and disseminated the excellence of the Italian agricultural mechanization sector and helped the development of the agricultural sector in many countries”. It was also thanks to the valuable support of ICE that the last 2022 edition of the event was able to register record numbers. “Our Agency has made a fundamental contribution to this success, decreed by 327,000 visitors, 57 thousand were foreign. In particular, the ICE Agency encouraged and organised the participation of 400 delegates from all over the world. The Addis Abeba office alone – Director Zucconi recalled – selected and invited to EIMA International 27 operators from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia. Even for the next November edition, the Agency will be directly involved, through its network of 70 offices worldwide, in the selection of economic operators to be invited to the Fair”.

Wide range and specialisation are not the only strengths of an event like EIMA International, which has always been characterised by high-innovation content and focus on the main issues of interest to agriculture worldwide. “In addition to the traditional exhibition of the models that have been awarded within the ‘Technical Innovation 2024’ contest, the next EIMA provides a busy calendar of meetings that – concluded the deputy director of FederUnacoma - is still being defined but that promises, as always, to be rich and interesting”. Outside the pavilions, in the outdoor areas, dynamic tests will be staged, such as the Tractor of the Year finalist tractor show, demonstrations of machinery for bioenergy supply chains, trials of gardening and landscaping machines. One of the most expected novelties is the space called REAL, dedicated to robots, drones and all these highly automated systems that allow to increase production yields, improve crop sustainability, optimise the use of production inputs.