On 7-11 November 2018, the European Union funded project “Support to Further Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD III)” organised a visit for representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, accompanied by the Key Experts of the Project, to the International Exposition of Machinery for Agriculture and Gardening (EIMA International) in Bologna, Italy.
EIMA International is the International Exposition of Machinery for Agriculture and Gardening biennial event founded in 1969 on the initiative of FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation. The fair is held every two years at Bologna Fiera in Italy and hosts more than one hundred events including conferences, theme seminars and meetings for visitors and exhibitors coming from all over the world. It is considered the ideal platform for exposure to the latest advancements in agricultural and gardening machinery and services.
The members of the Turkmen delegation took part in the events organized within the EIMA International. The representatives of the delegation and key experts of the SARD III project had a chance to showcase Turkmenistan’s Agricultural Sector, investment opportunities, and export potential at the meeting titled “Overview of Turkmenistan’s Agricultural Sector”, held on November 9, 2019 as part of the EIMA programme. The Turkmen officials briefed the meeting participants on the major projects and achievements implemented in the country in the sphere of agricultural development. The presentation was followed by one-to-one meetings with Italian business people on the potential for future collaboration.
Over the course of the several days, Turkmen officials visited EIMA pavilions dedicated to machinery and equipment for land reclamation, for tilling and preparing the soil, for plant and crop treatment, for irrigation, for harvesting, for initial processing and conserving agri-food products, for livestock breeding, for transporting agricultural products, among many others. Sections on the application of digital and high-precision technologies in agriculture were of particular interest to the Turkmen delegates, as more Turkmen farm investors look for more efficient and resource-saving solutions for their projects.
During their stay, the delegation also visited “FICO Eataly World”, the largest food park in the world, set up in Bologna, Italy, which aims to tell the story of Italian agri-food culture combining local tradition, high-quality food, and the expertise of those who have always been working in the agri-food chains. The Turkmen officials gained valuable insights from touring this park for further promoting Turkmen agri-food products on the international markets.
The EU-funded project “Support to Further Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD III)” is supporting the Government of Turkmenistan in the achievement of national sector objectives for sustainable agriculture, rural development and institutional support to the rural agri/sector. The third phase of SARD in Turkmenistan aims to increase productivity and competitiveness of the agri-food sector through activities that improve production, processing and marketing and to strengthen the capacity of supporting public sector agriculture institutions. More information on SARD III is available at www.sard3tm.org.
