Sima 2017: agricultural future

"Being a farmer in 10 years" is the leading theme of the 2017 French Salon dedicated to agribusiness, with 1,770 exhibitors and 300 international delegations attending the even. On display, the winners of the technical innovations competition. Among the most relevant scheduled events are Sima African Summit and Start-up Village

According to the latest Business Barometer by Cema (European association of agricultural machinery manufacturers), the index of the business mood felt by farm machinery industry, within the next six months the order intake of arable and livestock equipment should grow further (especially from outside of the EU).

The Sima agribusiness exhibition, scheduled in the trade fair centre of Paris Nord Villepinte from 26 February to 2 March provides an opportunity for the assessment of the overall trend of  agricultural markets and particularly of farm machinery industry.

A total amount of 1,770 exhibitors coming from 42 countries, 13 product sectors and 300 international delegations: these are the numbers of the French exhibition that since 2015 has been attended by more than 238,000 visitors from 142 countries. The organizers spotted the types of   visitor, classified as farmers/breeders (72%), dealers/distributors/importers (12%) and  businesspeople in the agriculture/forestry sector (11%).

Sima 2017 launches a great discussion on theme “Being a farmer in 10 years”, with the aim to imagine agriculture in the digital era and to understand whether, by the advent of robotics, tractors will be driven by humans. Among the topics developed are the new models of bioeconomy and genomic selection in animal and plant breeding. The themes will be developed through many initiatives promoted by the organizers only or in collaboration with other partners.

Within this “excercise of reading and comprehension” is also included the traditional award for innovations in agricultural machinery and equipment with two gold medals, five silver medals and eighteen special mentions. The first two medals awarded the Michelin 2-in-1 evolutionary tyres (the tyre changes its shape and footprint according to pressure and usage) and to the Trelleborg variable inflation pressure tyre (a wheel capable of self-adjusting the pressure of the harvester's front tyres according to its load). Silver medals went to the Case IH Agriculture autonomous cabless tractor, JBC Agri hydrostatic variable transmission with powershift for telehandlers, John Deere AutoLube clever lubrication system for tractor and equipment, New Holland highly versatile autonomous tractor and finally to the Rousseau electric rotor-driven side-mounted edge cutter.

The prizes were awarded during a cerimony held in Paris in December last year and these innovative technological solutions will be displayed in dedicated areas of the exhibition. Among the many initiatives hosted, the focus is on the African continent. In 2015 European manufacturers of Cema signed an agreement with FAO for the promotion of a wider usage of agricultural machinery in developing countries and particularly in Africa, where mechanisation is considered key to agricultural development. In this regard, the exhibition sponsors the Sima African Summit, divided in two parts: on the inaugural day of the exhibition, a meeting will be held with ministers and representatives of agricultural institutions of several African countries, who will present their plans for the agricultural development. In the morning of 28 February will be held a conference organized by Sima and Axema with the collaboration of FAO entitled “Agricultural mechanisation in Africa: what strategy for progress?”, with accounts given by businesses operating in Africa.

Another event is the Start-up Village – realized in collaboration with Ferme Digitale, the association for the promotion of innovation in agriculture – with the exhibition of 15 both French and international start-ups showcasing their solutions for the development of the primary sector. Displayed in Paris, these projects range from sensors for measuring plant health and crop growth, to cost allocation of each machine and solutions for the management of farm activities, and then other solutions such as shared services for the purchasing and selling of products. In parallel, the Start-up Village will host workshops and seminars on sustainable agriculture, future of farming distribution, connected machines, and investments in the agricultural sector.

In the programme of meetings and conferences, the French association of manufacturers Axema organizes in collaboration with EurAEng a conference dedicated to the students of the agro-mechanical sector on materials and innovative systems for a sustainable intensive agriculture (on Saturday 25 February). On 27 February will be held the day of the retailer promoted by the Sima and the French association of businesses for services and distribution of agricultural machinery Sedima, with a morning workshop on the profile and role of the dealer in the next ten years, followed by B2B meetings between manufacturers and dealers scheduled in the afternoon.

In parallel with Sima will take place the Simagena Salon, reserved to livestock breeding, with 200 exhibitors, 250 cows and 11 ovine breeds featured (the programme will feature five auctions).  FederUnacoma will attend Sima with its 2017 programme of activities, that will be presented during a press conference scheduled on Monday 27 February (at 15:00, Hall 515a). The Federation also participates in the exhibition with an institutional area available to both visitors and member companies, in the area of Pavilion 5a (stand H 045).

During the exhibition, a “networking wall” will be available at the International Business Club (mezzanine, Pav. 6), where exhibitors will be given the chance to leave their business cards in order to be contacted by economic operators attending the event. One last note: the salon launched in the last months an international “treasure hunt” entitled #FINDSIMABOX, and hid a Sima box in ten countries of America, Europe and Asia, giving clues on social networks of the event to allow participants find them: winners will be awarded a journey to Paris to attend the exhibition.