Deutsche Messe Moves AgriChina From Shanghai to Beijing

AgriChina, a biennial agricultural show that debuted Aug. 31–Sept. 2, 2004, in Shanghai, China, will move to the China Intl. Exhibition Centre in Beijing for its next installment April 11–13, 2006.

According to the show's co-organizers, the German Agricultural Society in Frankfurt and Deutsche Messe in Hannover, the new location will be more accessible to decision-makers from large farms in northern China, government and industry representatives in Beijing and visitors from elsewhere in Asia.

Karl-Martin Lueth, the society's manager of international cooperation, believes the move will attract more exhibitors and visitors. "For agriChina 2006, a national German pavilion is already foreseen, and we received very positive feedback from a great number of potential exhibitors who came to agriChina 2004 to get first impressions about this vast agricultural market," Lueth said. "We are indeed very optimistic."

The first agriChina reportedly attracted 4,516 attendees and 71 exhibiting companies from 10 countries. Agricultural machinery manufacturers and suppliers for livestock farming, crop and animal breeding companies were among the show's exhibitors, which targeted the Chinese market. AgriChina included a trade fair, an international symposium and local excursions.

Margot Schueller of the Institute of Asian Affairs in Hamburg noted that the Chinese government is working to open up its agricultural industry to foreign participants by de-emphasizing the importance of agricultural self-sufficiency, integrating rural and urban economies, deregulating grain markets, improving product quality and easing limitations on buying imported farm machinery.