The first half of the year saw a decline in sales in many countries. Investments in farming technologies are being hampered by falling farm incomes, even though potential demand remains high. “Weather and climate events affect agriculture not only in terms of productivity,” notes Mariateresa Maschio, “but also in terms of their impact on agricultural land, and this weakens primary producers.”

As part of the RISO’ exhibition, currently taking place in Vercelli, a display of highly specialised machinery for rice field operations has been set up. From tractors to levelling machines and weed-control robots, the Italian industry develops technologies to manage every stage of production with maximum efficiency.

The 47th edition of EIMA International (10–14 November), the major exhibition dedicated to agricultural machinery and technology, was presented in Addis Ababa. The African country has great agricultural potential, but requires next-generation technologies to make its land more productive. A delegation of business representatives will be present in Bologna, organised by ICE and FederUnacoma.