Baku, February 27, AZERTAC

In May 2024, Baku will host international exhibitions on agriculture and food industry, which are priority sectors of the country's non-oil economy. Being 17th in number Azerbaijan International Agriculture Exhibition Caspian Agro and 29th Azerbaijan International Food Industry InterFood Azerbaijan Exhibition will be take place on May 15-17 at Baku Expo Center.

According to Iteca Caspian, particular attention is given by the state to the industries included in the exhibitions. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, after years of visiting Caspian Agro and InterFood Azerbaijan exhibitions, got acquainted with the exhibition expositions and participants at Baku Expo Center in 2023, as well. The state administration’s special attention to the exhibitions, and the president’s visits further fueled the growth of the food and agriculture industries as well as business ties in this sector.

Support of exhibitions by numerous government agencies and annual visits also demonstrates this exhibition’s considerable significance for our nation and the region as a whole. It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a strong supporter of the Caspian Agro exhibition and actively participates in it.

The exhibition in 2023 took up every available pavilion and open area in Baku Expo Centre, drawing in a record number of visitors. Following on from this success, a large number of international businesses are anticipated to take part in exhibitions in 2024, too. Currently, most of the open and closed areas of the Baku Expo Center are occupied by the exhibition participants.

Caspian Agro is the largest agricultural exhibition of the region. The agro-industrial sector is a rapidly developing and promising sector of the economy. The exhibition will once again bring together the leading figures in the agricultural industry, local and international experts, including importers, exporters, distributors of agricultural products, wholesale and retail trade representatives, as well as an audience of thousands of professional visitors, including farmers. Alongside with Azerbaijan, companies from the Belarus, Belgium, China, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, South Korea, Serbia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and USA will be among the participants of the exhibition.

The main sections of Caspian Agro, which will last three days, include agricultural machinery, agricultural facilities and equipment, irrigation system, packaging, innovative technologies in agriculture, livestock and poultry, greenhouse, feeds, veterinary, plant breeding, fertilizer, fruit and vegetable growing.

29th Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition InterFood Azerbaijan, which serves as primary gathering spot for food industry representatives of the Caspian region, will be organized simultaneously with Caspian Agro. Alongside with Azerbaijan, companies from Belarus, China, India, Iran, Italy, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tailand, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, and Venezuela will be represented at the exhibition.

InterFood Azerbaijan is the venue where exhibition participants conduct actual product sales and discover distributors and ambassadors for their brands. The unified platform will present frozen foods and semi-finished products, confectionery and flour products, canned foods, meat products, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, butter products, juices, tea, healthy foods, as well as equipment for fruit and vegetable processing, packages and a number of other products.

Traditionally, bilateral business meetings (B2B and B2G) will be held as part of the exhibitions. Here, representatives of international and local businesses will be able to speak face-to-face about potential cooperation and methods of future partnerships. Additionally, representatives of private companies will have the chance to engage with representatives of state agencies within the context of bilateral business discussions.

For the first time, the exhibition to be held in 2024 will cover the Agro Hackathon competition. Teams of computer programmers, interface designers, and software developers will collaborate to find agricultural technology solutions and build new projects in the aforementioned competition. The winners will be awarded with cash and other valuable prizes.

Furthermore, a special emphasis on the concept of Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change will be placed on finding practical solutions to lessen adverse environmental effects. This concept is aimed at creating a balance between increasing agricultural production and simultaneously protecting the environment. The concept of sustainable intensification of agriculture and climate change is also reflected in the logo of the exhibition.

The Gızıl Shah National Culinary Championship, which is held annually, is one of the events scheduled for the exhibitions. In 2024, for the first time, the International Culinary Championship will be organized as part of this championship, and will feature chefs from 7 different countries, as well as international judges from 15 countries. In addition, the International Forum on Agricultural Innovations will also take place in the exhibition's presentation area. "Sustainable agricultural development in climat change"", "Innovative approaches to sustainable water management in agriculture", "Increasing digital knowledge in agriculture" and other topics will be discussed at the forum.

As a result, the attendees of the exhibitions will have the opportunity to get acquainted with innovations, consult with qualified specialists and evaluate offers from various exhibitors.

The official supporters of the exhibitions are the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AQTA), the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (KOBİA), the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO), the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASK), Azerbaijan Exhibition Organisers Association (ASTA), Azerbaijan Food and Beverage Industry Association (AQİSA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).

Sponsors of Caspian Agro exhibition are traktor.az and Rostselmash companies.

The organizers of the Caspian Agro and InterFood Azerbaijan exhibitions are the Caspian Event Organisers company, as well as its partners Caspian Event Management and ICA Events. Exhibitions are actively supported by the Azerbaijan Exhibition Organisers Association (ASTA).

Detailed information about the exhibitions can be obtained from the official websites https://caspianagro.az and https://interfood.az.