The largest agricultural trade exhibition in the Middle East is held near the desert.
AgraMe, hosted during the month of March, is held in Dubai. AgraMe Exhibition Director Samantha Bleasby said the venue provides an opportunity for growth, especially when it comes to addressing food security issues that have arisen in the Middle East due to a growing population.
?We work with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environments. We?re working together, in a partnership, to grow agriculture, so the country is less dependent on imports. Around 85% to 90% of the food we eat in the Middle East and Africa is imported; that?s a high number. With the growing population, it?s set to cause more of a problem, which then creates a huge opportunity,? Bleasby said.
Bleasby is visiting the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL this week. Bleasby said farmers in the Middle East and Africa seek the most innovative technology, in hopes it will help the region address food security issues.
?We want the most innovative technology to come to the Middle East and Africa. Farmers are getting the investments they need to buy this technology, so they can grow. You can see real growth in the next five to 10 years within the farming community,? Bleasby said.
Bleasby said she looks forward to speaking with exhibitors about trading in the Middle East, as well as speaking with visitors at the 2017 Farm Progress Show.
