Farmers from across the province are flocking to Westerner Park this week for the Agri-Trade Equipment Expo.
The first day of the four-day event was Wednesday. More than 475 exhibitors can be found at this year’s event.
“Not all of them are new exhibitors, but there’s always new products,” said Dave Fiddler, show manager. “We have three companies that have won awards for their innovative inventions and a number of companies will use this show to introduce a new product launch.”
The exhibitors come from across Western Canada, the United States and even New Zealand. The businesses focus on crops and livestock sections of agriculture.
It’s always exciting to see the industry’s innovation every year, he added.
“Science is advancing and not only in terms of farm efficiencies, but in terms of sustainability.
“There are innovations to make farmers more profitable, to protect the environment - which is a primary concern for farmers - and to provide a safe food product for consumers,” said Fiddler.
Fiddler said the expo is the right show at the right time in the right location.
“Red Deer is right in one of the most productive areas in Canada, if not North America. It’s also the right time of the year because it’s right after harvest; farmers have the crops in the bin, the money in the bank so they’re ready to spend,” said Fiddler.
The expo has been held since 1984, Fiddler said. About 28,000 people attend the event.
Fiddler said he expects this to be one of the biggest ones yet.
“Last year the harvest was late and a lot of farmers were unable to attend. With that there’s a lot of pent-up demand, so I think we’ll see a huge crowd this year,” he said.
Fiddler said it feels good to see the event come together.
“It’s a year of planning, tweaking and seeking ways to make it better. We’ll start planning next year’s show on Monday.”
The expo continues until Saturday. Doors will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
More details can be found at www.agri-trade.com.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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