The maiden International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery begins in Yaounde on December 16, 2015.
Organisers of the pioneer International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery, IEAMC, as at press time yesterday, December 15, 2015, continued rolling the red carpet to welcome guests to the official opening ceremony of the event that holds today December 16. The venue is Hall A of the fair village at the precincts of the Yaounde Conference Centre. The six-day fair is holding on the theme, “Agricultural Revolution: Stakes and Challenges for a Fruitful and Sustainable Agriculture.” It is under the auspices of the Head of State.
The fair ground flung open its doors to visitors yesterday with a cross-section of participants welcoming first vistors while others continued with last-minute touches. The exhibition village has been segmented into four giant specialised halls. Hall A has been reserved for projections, history, innovation, exposés and cooperation, while Hall B is hosting banks, project owners, training and funding associations as well as micro-leasing companies. Visitors to Hall C will discover companies that are into agriculture mechanisation, farm equipment and agricultural services. In Hall D are agri-businesses, seed producers and companies specialised in packaging. Some stands have been mounted out of the halls.
Work at the site has not ended, and the General Coodinator of IEAMC, Elissar Mbang Ekoutou, says late comers are expected to be many. Yesterday, Elissar kept shuttling between different parts of the fair grounds to ensure that all goes well. “Speed up work! Get registered there! Your stand is over there,” were some of her catch phrases. Elissar Mbang Ekoutou insisted on security, given the challenging times in the country. She disclosed that over 110-120 stands have been set up out of the trade fair halls and the organising committee is still working to meet demand. Over 155 stands in Halls A, B, C and D are already occupied. She revealed that over 400 companies are taking part in the fair, with some taking as many as two or three stands.
IEAMC’s General Coordinator explained that the Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry of Cameroon, CAPEF, is seeking to bring producers, project owners and funding to a win-win platform. Knowledge-sharing on improving collaboration is primordial for sustaining the country’s agriculture. She however regretted the inability of some international exhibitors to clear their hardware and agricultural machinery at the Douala Seaport due to difficulties with Customs, despite autorisation. Participating countries include Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, USA, Tunisia and Algeria in agri-business, equipment, processing and packaging.
