Hosted by Informa Markets Taiwan and co-organized by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the Tainan City Government, the 8th Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum, Livestock Taiwan, and Aquaculture Taiwan opened on June 19, 2024. The opening ceremony was officiated by Deputy Minister Mr. Jong-I Hu of the MOA, Tainan Mayor Mr. Wei-che Huang, and Informa Markets Asia Senior Vice President Mr. Chris Eve.
This three-in-one agricultural, livestock, and aquaculture professional exhibition marked the first time Informa Markets moved the event from Taipei to southern Taiwan, the primary production area for these industries. This event also marked the first international professional exhibition held at the newly completed International Convention Center, Tainan. The center’s CEO, Mr. Taiming Yeh, served as the master of ceremonies for the opening.
This year, the exhibition attracted over 200 exhibitors from 13 countries, showcasing more than 400 booths. Located at the heart of Taiwan’s agricultural, livestock, and aquaculture production area, the exhibition center is conveniently next to the high-speed rail station, facilitating visits from nearby counties and cities. The event drew over 27,811 professional attendees from 33 countries, with more than 162 overseas business matchmaking sessions completed on-site. Running alongside the exhibition were 52 agricultural, livestock, and aquaculture professional forums and seminars, attracting full audiences and receiving very positive feedback.
This year's exhibition was divided into three major areas, in addition to the Taiwan Pavilion, Denmark Pavilion, and Netherlands Pavilion:
The agriculture section featured the latest electric agricultural machinery developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, various agricultural machinery and processing equipment from the Taiwan Agricultural Machinery & Supplies Association, agricultural materials, greenhouse and environmental control equipment from the Taiwan Agricultural Structures Association, and a flower zone organized by the Taiwan Floriculture Exports Association. Exhibitors were pleased to meet with Malaysian flower growers they had been hoping to connect with. Greenhouse suppliers reported that buyers, facing extreme weather and labor shortages, placed on-the-spot orders for modern greenhouses, expecting follow-up orders to exceed millions USD.
The aquaculture section, besides feed & additives, introduced the "Smart Aquaculture Equipment Pavilion" with the help of the Fish Breeding Association. Aquaculture exhibitors highly praised the event's location in Tainan. In addition to inviting buyers from target markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, the event also attracted farmers from central and southern Taiwan and the eastern regions. Labor-saving and smart products were in high demand, promising future orders for exhibitors.
The livestock section added a "Dairy Equipment Zone" to the existing "Smart Livestock Facility Zone" and "Feed Technology Zone." Dairy equipment agents sold multiple robots and frozen milk tanks on the first day, with total transactions exceeding 1 million USD, including an order of over 0.8 million USD based solely on catalog information. Another exhibitor launched a "luxury residence for calves," attracting many buyers with a product presentation and successfully selling several automatic milking robots. Fan manufacturers reported daily sales of about 15,000 USD, receiving 40-50 overseas buyers. A livestock equipment agent encountered a major poultry farmer planning to build a hectare of facilities, and an aquaculture business inquired about converting egg conveyors for fishery use. Additionally, an exhibitor from Cyprus secured a significant order from a buyer from Thailan to supply heat-resistant sheep for the Arabian market.
International buyers this year included individual buyers from Australia, Africa, Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and delegations from Malaysia's flower, vegetable, fruit growers, aquaculture importers, and a 15-member group from the Philippines. They enthusiastically engaged with exhibitors to explore agricultural, livestock, and aquaculture products. The foreign team leaders have high expectations for the exhibition's future, looking forward to more products and innovations next year.
Most exhibitors expressed high satisfaction with this year’s event in Tainan. Over 95% expressed hope that the event will continue in southern Taiwan next year. In response, the organizer decided that the 9th Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum, Livestock Taiwan, and Aquaculture Taiwan will again be held in Tainan on an even bigger scale from June 11-13, 2025. Due to limited venue space, interested exhibitors are encouraged to register early to secure a spot.