When the French do farm shows, they do them really well.
Take for example SIMA which opened yesterday and runs until Thursday 8 March at France's national exhibition centre at Villepinte, north of Paris.
The numbers are staggering: It covers 22ha (54 acres) and attracts nearly 200,000 visitors and more than 1300 exhibitors from 39 countries.
Simagena, the associated livestock show, has nearly 300 livestock exhibitors from eight countries, showing 500 cows and 100 sheep.
And if you want a measure of the show's popularity on the first day, you should have tried walking in a straight line along a thoroughfare in any of the show's seven cavernous exhibition halls. It was impossible due to the crowds drawn by the wealth of farm machinery - new designs unveiled for the first time - and tried and tested models - plus livestock.
Also in Paris this week is the Salon Internationale de l'Agriculture at Port de Versailles packed with more livestock and food exhibits: All doing a great job of raising the profile of French food and the people who produce it, according to FW's Taking Stock blog.
How refreshing to witness a vibrant farm sector bursting with enthusiasm and determined to make the best of the opportunities ahead with the support of its government and public.
Comments (1)
Good to hear there's still plenty of interest from French farmers in attending a national event. But what is their mood and the mood of the exhibitors? We hear France is doing well with its biofuels sector - is that reflected in the mood of farmers? And how are they coping with SFP and cross-compliance type issues?
Comment left on March 5, 2007 11:01 AM
Posted on March 5, 2007 11:01