Havana: An Agroindustrial Business Forum has commenced today at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel in Havana, marking the beginning of a two-day event that coincides with a significant agricultural fair.
According to Lao News Agency, the Rancho Boyeros Agricultural Fair, which celebrated its 92nd anniversary on February 26, is hosting the 26th edition of the Fiagrop International Agroindustrial Food Fair from March 17 to 23. The fair is organized by the Agricultural Fair Company and sponsored by the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Azcuba Sugar Business Group. Fiagrop offers a platform for participants to engage through product and service exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and meetings.
The forum has attracted ten foreign firms from eight countries, including Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Chile, Portugal, and Panama, in addition to the host nation. For the first time, the event is being held at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unit
ed Nations (FAO). A message from the FAO outlines the Business Forum’s agenda, which emphasizes accelerating agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development.
Official representatives from the Cuban government and the FAO Investment Center are scheduled to participate in a meeting titled ‘Hand in Hand.’ The discussions will address topics related to the IRES Project, the Green Climate Fund, the Carbon Market, marine-coastal ecosystems, biodiversity, the environment, investment opportunities and models, challenges, market development, and exchanges. Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit the fairgrounds in Rancho Boyeros, a site of historical significance in the Cuban agricultural sector.
The Rancho Boyeros Fairgrounds, which opened on February 23, 1933, have been an emblem of progress and innovation in Cuba’s agricultural landscape. The venue was initially part of a 1930s development plan aimed at uniting the island’s livestock and exhibition efforts. The Second International Livesto
ck Exposition took place in 1956, gaining prominence after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. By 1961, the grounds hosted the founding of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), and in 1975, the National Agricultural Exposition was held.
In the 1990s, the International Agricultural Fair (Fiagrop) was established as the most significant event in the sector, facilitating the showcase of agricultural advances and the exchange of experiences and technologies. The Agricultural Fair Company, created in 1997 and currently part of the Porcine Business Group (GPOR) affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture, is headquartered at the Rancho Boyeros Fairgrounds and is responsible for organizing and supporting fair activities.