President Aliyev visits international food fairs in Baku
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited the WorldFood Azerbaijan 2014 and AgriHort Azerbaijan 2014 which kicked off in the capital Baku on May 22.
Azerbaijan's Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov said the WorldFood exhibition is part of the famous WorldFood brand which brings together the biggest food industry exhibitors from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Turkey and other countries.
"Its 20th round celebrates with a record number of exhibitors - 242 participating companies," the minister added.
Representatives of 36 countries take part in the exhibition. Traditionally the majority of these companies represent Europe (57 percent) and the CIS countries (15 percent).
In order to encourage the application of advanced equipment and production technologies in the regions, the WorldFood Azerbaijan and AgriHort Azerbaijan have organized some information tours for entrepreneurs from Barda, Gabala, Ganja, Lankaran, Saatli, Sabirabad, Khachmaz and other districts.
The exhibitors put on display their products in three main areas: food industry (WorldFood), beverages (WorldDrink) and food technology (WorldFoodTech). The exhibition displays meat, fish, confectionery and bakery products, as well as beverages, tea, coffee, fruits and vegetables, dairy, and oil and fat products. The event also features equipment and main ingredients of the food industry.
The AgriHort exhibition, in turn, brings together companies from the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine, France and other countries. AgriHort puts on display equipment for agriculture and poultry, as well as greenhouses, irrigation systems, animal and fish feed, seeds, fertilizer, and so on.
"Compared to last year, the exhibition has increased 2,5 times," Asadov said, adding that another distinctive feature of this exhibition is its focus on agricultural machinery.
Thus, the exhibition is held in an open area at the Baku Expo Center. Manufacturers and distributors such as "AzTekhnika", "John Deere", the Ganja Automobile Plant, "Clover", "Rostselmash" and "Gomselmash" display their products here.
President Aliyev visited the exhibition pavilions afterwards.
WorldFood Azerbaijan 2013 and Agrihort Azerbaijan 2013 are organized by Iteca Caspian and ITE Group Plc, whose network of partners include EUF, GiMA nd ITE Gulf. During the three day-events, the show's trade visitors will learn about the industry's achievements, test the latest developments, and receive professional consultation.