Livestock Expo organisers blame visa denial for low foreign delegates attendance

As Nigerian exhibitors join other international agro and livestock farmers at this year’s SPACE 2017 that took place from September 12 to 15, at Rennes, France, organisers say the number of international delegations could have been much higher if so many well-prepared and highly-motivated foreign livestock professionals had not been refused visas.

Taking part in the show’s 30th anniversary edition were 1,441 exhibitors, 499 of which came from overseas, with 115 journalists from 40 countries, with only BusinessDay newspaper from Nigeria.

Attendance was very high, with 114,653 visitors recorded, 14,029 of which came from 128 different countries, an increase of 12 percent on last year. The Thursday recorded a record-breaking number of over 38,000 visitors.

According to Akin Akinbola, CEO, Promosalons, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon, who also lead the Nigerian delegation to the expo, said the show was thus a resounding success and a great tribute to the exhibition’s founders, confirming the pertinence of their vision and ambition in creating SPACE three decades ago. “They designed it to be an annual meeting place for professionals from the livestock industry worldwide, and it remains so today,” Akinbola said.

The official visit by Stéphane Travert, French Minister for Agriculture and Food, set the tone for this year’s show. He took the time to talk to a number of professionals across a range of sectors, listening attentively to their issues and concerns. His visit enabled those working in animal production to express their views and their needs arising from the newly established Etats Généraux de l’Alimentation (Round Table on Food) in France.

This year’s SPACE exhibition was marked by a high level of involvement amongst participants. The atmosphere was very positive, with both exhibitors and visitors expressing a desire to shape the future. Factors contributing to the success of the four-day event included the density and number of conferences, the high quality of the stands and livestock on show, as well the international dimension.

With delegations from countries such as Iran, Russia, Nigeria, Mali, and India, to name but a few, the whole world came together on “Planet Livestock” at SPACE 2017.

Innovation in all its forms was another major element of this year’s show. Innov’Space enabled 47 prize-winning exhibitors to showcase their innovations. SPACE gave them the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate their expertise to livestock farmers.