Over 450 Exhibitors from Eight Countries Taking Part in Agrokomplex Fair
The 48th Agrokomplex international agriculture and food fair, which was opened in Nitra on Thursday, features more than 450 exhibitors and sellers from eight countries.
Nitra, August 17 (TASR) - The 48th Agrokomplex international agriculture and food fair, which was opened in Nitra on Thursday, features more than 450 exhibitors and sellers from eight countries.
According to its organisers, this year's exhibition is subtitled 'Back to the roots' and will showcase agricultural equipment, food and farm products, plants, farm animals and the latest technologies that put agriculture and food production among highly sophisticated industries.
As in the past, the National Livestock Exhibition is taking place as part of Agrokomplex, with individual breeding associations presenting champions in their categories.
Caretaker Premier Ludovit Odor, when opening the exhibition, said that there are a number of serious challenges faced by farmers at the moment. "These definitely include climate change, which is affecting crops and the whole country, and in the future we'll have to think about how to resolve this situation, maybe with the help of a kind of a risk fund. We should also speak about the importance of agriculture, especially when it comes to soil and water, which are strategic commodities," stated Odor.
The premier sees another big challenge in modernising Slovakia's agriculture. "Productivity is very important. We can't stop technological trends; we must 'jump on board them' and use them for the benefit of agriculture," he said.
"We currently have a huge investment debt in the food industry. Innovation is clearly something that we must apply, regardless of whether it concerns animal breeding, land cultivation, or food production and processing," said caretaker Agriculture Minister Jozef Bires.
Among other challenges, Odor mentioned attracting young people to agricultural production. "To make them realise that today's agriculture is completely different from that of decades ago. It's modern and plays a significant role in what our rural life looks like," added the premier.
