The 17th Agroexpo International Agriculture and Livestock Fair, Turkey's largest and one of Europe's four largest agricultural fairs, started with the hosting of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. The Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality, who drew attention to the vision of "Another Agriculture is Possible" Tunç Soyer, “This vision and our İzmir Agriculture strategy reveal this 'possible'. We will continue to fight drought and poverty at the same time with İzmir Agriculture," he said.
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerContinuing its activities in line with the vision of "Another Agriculture is Possible", Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is hosting the 17th Agroexpo International Agriculture and Livestock Fair, which is Turkey's largest and one of Europe's four largest fairs. Agroexpo, which will continue until 6 February 2022 with the main theme of “Agriculture and Climate Strategies”, was opened with a ceremony held today. This year, the fair will host nearly 50 thousand visitors with 400 participants. The Turkish agricultural sector will meet with thousands of purchasing delegations from foreign countries.
Soyer: “We can feed the population of the city with ancestral seeds and small producers”
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fair, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, “Agroexpo participants have a lot of things to be inspired by İzmir and producers from İzmir. When I say 'Another Agriculture is Possible', I would like to briefly share what exactly we have changed and are changing. The first is to support ancestral seeds and native animal breeds. Second, to support the small producer. I know that there is a very common view that heirloom seeds and small producers cannot feed the world's population. Therefore, I am aware of exactly what the two changes I mentioned above refer to. We saw in İzmir that we can feed the population of cities with ancestral seeds and small producers. Moreover, we can establish a better, fairer and cleaner food production chain than it is now. In order to realize this change, the public needs to be regulatory on two issues; planning and organization. In other words, scientific planning of where, which crops will be planted and for how long. Use of agricultural technologies in the right way and on the ground. Secondly, support of small producer cooperatives and associations. Supporting the small producer so that they can manage the entire sales chain from farm to fork. If a regulatory role is played in these two issues in Turkey, we think that the problems in the agricultural sector will decrease.”
“We will continue the fight”
Stating that the problems in agriculture can be solved with the vision of 'Another Agriculture is Possible', Soyer said, “It is possible to bring this land to its abundance. It is possible to change the mistakes that force the villagers to migrate, and to build a system where hard work can be rewarded in the face of giant companies. It is possible to save our dwindling water resources and barren lands with the climate crisis and wrong policies. Millions of our citizens; it is possible to provide access to healthy, cheap and reliable food. It is possible to make agriculture one of the sectors that make the biggest contribution to our country's economy and employment. It is possible to end widespread and massive poverty. In short, 'Another Agriculture Is Possible'. Our vision of 'Another Agriculture is Possible' and our six-legged İzmir Agriculture strategy reveal this 'possible'. We will continue to fight drought and poverty at the same time with İzmir Agriculture," he said.
Thanks to President Soyer
Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi said that they exported agricultural products to 2021 countries in 168. Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, stated that they support agriculture as a chamber. Orion Fairs Chairman of the Board Fatih Tan thanked President Soyer for his support.
2 billion dollars trade volume expectation from the fair
Organized by Orion Fair Organization, Agroexpo; mainly agricultural mechanization and technologies, greenhouse and technologies, water and irrigation technologies, fertilizer, seeds, seedlings, saplings and horticulture, agricultural spraying machines, ecological agriculture, agro-informatics, livestock breeding, animal production machinery, sector-related institutions and organizations. will host all sector representatives at the Fair Izmir. This year, by developing global and social awareness, in order for our country to be sensitive to this issue; A panel will be held where Agriculture and Climate Strategies will be the subject and speakers with important knowledge in this field will participate. Many topics will be included in the panel, from the effects of water resources on agriculture to the effects of climate on animal husbandry. An important part of the importing companies and purchasing committees invited from more than 100 countries will participate in the fair. The trade volume, which was 1.5 billion dollars at the fair last year, is estimated to reach 2 billion dollars this year.
Who participated?
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor attended the opening ceremony. Tunç Soyer and İzmir Village-Koop Union President Neptün Soyer, Qatar Municipality and Environment Minister Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, İzmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger, İzmir Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mahmut Özgener, Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi, İzmir Barış Kocagöz, Chairman of the Commodity Exchange Council, Secretary General of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Buğra Gökçe, Orion Fairs Chairman of the Board Fatih Tan, deputies, district mayors, district governors, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality bureaucrats, cooperatives, producers, council members, headmen, political party representatives, chambers of agriculture, presidents and representatives of chambers, associations and non-governmental organizations and citizens participated.
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