ProCórdoba Agency was responsible for coordinating the International Round of Agricultural Machinery, in the framework of the tenth edition of Expoagro 2016, together with the Ministry of Production of Santa Fe.
This meeting allowed the assistants to analyze and progress on the operations in the short and medium term. Foreign traders from Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia participated in the round. There were 72 companies from Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe and around 300 interviews were conducted.
It is important to say that, after an institutional mission organized by the Agency to that country, the officials Mahomed Valá and Jermías Chauque were welcomed by the Agricultural Ministry of Mozambique who, under the coordination of ProCórdoba, had institutional meetings with the Minister of Agricultural Industry, Ricardo Buryaile, his secretaries and representatives of the Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Agrocomponents of Córdoba (AFAMAC). Moreover, they visited the facilities of Expoagro, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), and the delegations of Marcos Juárez and San Pedro.
The participating companies stated that the Business Round exceeded their expectations and that they are satisfied with the contacts established during the meetings. They also highlighted that they progressed on trade agreements and potential sales.
Charles Gil, representative of Peopleagro in Bolivia, said:
"It is the third time I’ve participated in the international business round. My company's success is based on the technology that I was able to import from Argentina. This is a real progress and it is mainly due to the great effort made by ProCórdoba Agency. We’ve linked with companies that are specialized in seeding, industry, process and engineering. In addition to knowing companies that were able to solve particular issues about my venture, I’ve contacted others with new markets and prospective clients. The round allows you to be face to face with the entrepreneur and it also offers the opportunity to understand which his /her supply is by considering each client's demand.”
On his part, German Ocampo (from the Colombian company Tractogermana) said:
"It is the third year we’ve participated in the round and we insist on knowing the machinery and the proposals that are offered by Argentine companies. We have great expectations that we will be able to take their products to Colombia. Until last year, for political and economic reasons, we were not able to trade. This year, I’ve found a totally different environment, with quality goods, at a competitive price for the foreign market. I’ve found a completely renewed fair.”
From Peru, Mónica Rodríguez attended the business round and represented her family company, Cest Peru. The company is specialized in the search for small equipment that can be handled by the farmer: Portable Milking Machine for 2 Cow, seed planter machine, self-walking seed planter machine and grinding mills.
Rodríguez was satisfied with the obtained results:
"It is the first time I’ve participated in the round and I've found companies that sell what I was looking for. I am interested in doing business with them. We have remained in close contact and agreed on forthcoming communications. I thank ProCórdoba Agency because it invited me to participate in the round and I also thank the coordinators that were well-disposed and kind.”
At the end of the business round, the Agency conducted a satisfaction survey among the assistants in order to collect the first approximate results. According to the data declared by the companies, we can mention that 14 industrial SMEs were able to do business for over U$D 500,000 in the short term. Among them we can mention Pauny, Blacksoil, Campo Fácil, Corsal, Metalfor; Bertolotti, Ingersol, Pampa Riego, Ingeniería Mega, Veiron, Oblan, Apache, MJP Bombas, Rattini, Agrología, Apache and Ingergoll Argentina.
In the medium term, 24 companies stated that there are high sales possibilities for an amount of U$D 1,660,000.
According to these results that show an optimistic context for export, the General Manager of ProCórdoba Agency, Roberto Rossotto said:
"It is the first time that the Agency works with Expoagro and the Ministry of Production of Santa Fe, organizing the International Business Round. The participation in ExpoAgro allowed us to see an important mood and expectation change on the part of the companies of the sector. There is a greater predisposition towards export."
On his part, Luis Gilli, Trade Promotion Manager, said:
"For ProCórdoba, this participation in the round is part of the internationalization strategy for the sector. It has a strong presence in Latin America with a special plan to be implemented in Colombia, Bolivia and African and East European countries."
