There will be plenty of farm talk at Westerner Park when the Agri-Trade Equipment Expo kicks off on Wednesday. But if you listen carefully, you might also hear Spanish, Turkish and other languages.
Red Deer’s annual farm show, which runs from Nov. 5 to 8, will again draw international exhibitors and attendees, as well as a pair of delegations composed on foreign visitors.
Matt Cornall, an investment attraction officer with Central Alberta: Access Prosperity, said a half-dozen people from Turkey — including a governor from the Province of Erzurum — will tour Agri-Trade on opening day. They’ll travel to Red Deer after taking in the Farmfare International show in Edmonton, he said.
That same day, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development will bring to the city a group of 23 people from Australia, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. This multi-country contingent will be touring the province, said Cornall.
In both cases, the ag-focused groups will have the opportunity to see one of Western Canada’s biggest farm shows and network with members of the industry here.
“It’s just a nice chance for them to get a sense of what’s going on in Central Alberta, and also what’s going on on the equipment side,” said Cornall.
And there’s no telling where a handshake and exchange of business cards on the Agri-Trade floor could lead, he said. It might give a local business a foot in the door of an international customer and a competitive advantage.
“It builds relationships and then there’s a great trade potential there.”
Central Alberta: Access Prosperity — which grew out of an economic alliance involving Red Deer County, the City of Red Deer, Red Deer College, the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce and Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP) — is again sponsoring Agri-Trade and will participate in Red Deer County’s booth.
Cornall said representatives of Central Alberta: Access Prosperity will visit international visitors at the show and host a networking reception Friday evening.
It will also stage a luncheon at Agri-Trade on Thursday. There, Wendy Schneider of Northline Angus will describe how the purebred cattle company evolved from its Alberta roots to become an international business.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com