EIMA 2024, a platform for Italian-Ethiopian cooperation

“I believe that in Ethiopia, a country where agriculture plays a predominant role in the economy, there is a need to develop local agricultural enterprises, whether large or small, with adequate mechanisation, able to make local crops productive, ecological and of quality, for the necessary food self-sufficiency and for export.” These are the words with which the director of the ICE Office of Addis Abeba Riccardo Zucconi opened the press conference to present EIMA International, the world exhibition of agricultural mechanics scheduled in Bologna from 6 to 10 November. The conference, which took place this morning in the Ethiopian capital Addis Abeba, was held by FederUnacoma Deputy Director General Fabio Ricci, and was attended by a large audience of journalists, farmers, technicians and primary sector operators. During his speech, Deputy Director Ricci stressed the contribution that Italian industries in the sector are making to the development of Ethiopian agriculture. “Italy is Ethiopia’s second largest supplier of agricultural technology with a market share of 13.4%. In 2022 the value of our exports has exceeded the threshold of 8 million euros, generated - Fabio Ricci said - mainly by items related to tillage equipment (55%) and tractors (11%). Analyst forecasts indicate that 2023, for which final figures are not yet available, should mark a decline in our sector exports. However – says the ExportPlanning Research Institute – in the short and medium term cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia could benefit from the general resumption of sectoral exchanges between the African country and the rest of the world which are expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.4% over the next four years.

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 the Italian-Ethiopian partnership in the agro-mechanical sector. 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. Certainly, of interest to Ethiopia’s agricultural economy is the Idrotech showcase where the most innovative irrigation technologies are exhibited; systems that can optimise and make the consumption of water resources more sustainable. In addition to Ethiopian farmers, technicians and operators, an official delegation is also expected at EIMA International, whose incoming visit, organised by ICE Agency, is being planned. Riccardo Zucconi focused on the collaboration between ICE and FederUnacoma. “The Agency, which has always supported the international promotion of the EIMA Fair in Bologna, from 1969 to today – recalled the director of the Addis Abeba Office – helped to facilitate the internationalisation of Italian companies, promoted and disseminated the excellence of the Italian agricultural mechanisation sector and helped the development of the agricultural sector in many countries”. On the other hand, it was also thanks to the valuable support of ICE that the last edition of the event, that of 2022, was able to register record's numbers. “Our Agency has made a fundamental contribution to this success, decreed by 327,000 visitors, 57 thousand of whom are 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, rich and of sure interest”. 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 novelty is the space called REAL, focused on robots, drones and all those highly automated systems that allow to increase production yields, improve crop sustainability, optimise the use of production factors.