22-02-2025
Agriculture Show opens in Paris with Morocco as guest of honour
Morocco will take centre stage at the 61st Agriculture Show, opening on 22 February in Paris, marking the first time a foreign country has been honoured as a guest of the renowned French fair.
The "Salon de l'Agriculture" showcase is a major annual event in France, attracting some 600,000 visitors over nine days, and for the first time in more than 60 years, the fair will welcome a foreign country as guest of honour.
"I looked at the European level, and at all the fairs, the international aspect of exchanges is emphasised. We cannot remain closed off from the world," Jérôme Desprey, president of the show, said on Friday.
"We see this with the deterioration of our trade balance, which weighs on our agriculture. The Agricultural Show is also business, with the presence of interprofessional organisations and sectors," Desprey added.
When asked about this choice in the context of tensions between France and Algeria, French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard explained earlier this month that it was the decision of the show organisers, while asserting that it was a "good choice," which "continues the visit" of President Emmanuel Macron in October to Morocco.
"We are within the framework of the International Agricultural Show. I want us to stay as much as possible within the agricultural field," added Genevard.
Cherry tomato production
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