Interview: Mercedes Alejandre Arballo Manager of Expo Agro Sinaloa
Originally from Tijuana, Baja California; But Sinaloense from the heart, Mercedes Alejandre Arballo has been manage the Expo Agro Sinaloa organization for 14 years.
In the agro-food sector the Expo Argo Sinaloa is a national and international reference, because it represents the possibility of the producers know the technological innovations and the evolution of the markets.
- In what year and how does Expo Agro Sinaloa arise?
It was born in 1990, when a group of producers attended an exhibition that took place in Illinois, United States and they asked, ‘why not instead of going there, we bring something here?’. This was how they began to organize an exhibition not only for Culiacan producers, also for the entire region of Sinaloa, and for accessing information and knowledge of technological advances in the agricultural industry, for those producers who did not Had the opportunity to visit other countries.
The first edition of Expo Agro took place in the ranch El Capule of the farmer Gildardo Ureta Sánchez and only five companies participated. The second and third year was in the ranch Don Cándido, of the producer Jorge Kondo López.
The interest of the participants and the exhibitors grew and there was a need to look for a larger space and we changed the venue of the event to the main access of the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP), where it was being done a couple of years More until a time came when the space was completely insufficient and we moved to the experimental field of INIFAP, where to date is held the Expo Agro Sinaloa.
The interest of the participants and the exhibitors grew and there was a need to look for a larger space and we changed the venue of the event to the main access of the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP), where it was being done a couple of years More until a time came when the space was completely insufficient and we moved to the experimental field of INIFAP, where to date is held the Expo Agro Sinaloa.
- How do you organize the event?
The closing of Expo Agro is in the month of February and during March it closes fiscal and financially. In April, we started with everything related to the logistics and programming of next year. We give ourselves to the task of seeking the innovations of the agri-food sector to include it in our program, and we promote the event to incorporate to the participants.
- What does this year’s general program include?
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Expo Agro Sinaloa, and therefore additional activities are being contemplated that are traditionally included in the Expo. We will present the lottery ticket in which the image of Expo Agro Sinaloa is shaped.
In coordination with the municipality of Culiacan and the conventions and visitor’s office, we will hold cultural events from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The conferences will address issues of sustainable agriculture, marketing, current situation of vegetables and grains, climate change and the rational use of water.
The participating companies will show the technological innovations and the programs that they develop in parallel in support to the producers.
- Who are the main beneficiaries of this event?
It benefits all Sinaloa, not only the producers since the Expo leaves an economic spill of approximately 450 million pesos in services such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, advertising companies, printing houses, etc. That is, Expo Agro generates a spill in all sectors and not just the three days, it is about two weeks in which this spill is generated. For example, now you find the people who are setting up the stands, and many of them are from other states; There you are promoting at least what is hotel, transport, and restaurants.
On the other hand, this event is the only international window that we must show what our state is. There is no other event, no turning, showing internationally what is Sinaloa. Generally, our image has been tarnished and I think Expo Agro presents the noble face of the Sinaloenses.
- What has been the main evolution that Expo Agro has presented?
I think the exhibitors and this is because the producer has changed, has modernized, and has implemented new systems and new technologies and this drives exhibitor to present more innovative elements.
In infrastructure and location has not evolved much since it is still carried out in the same place, which has been no problem since it is in the rise and heart of the agricultural valley.
However, it has not been possible to invest much in infrastructure since the land is from INIFAP, once Expo Agro has its own space, a strategic plan will be implemented with which a major change will be generated.
- What are the main challenges that the organization faces to maintain the interest of the participants in Expo Agro?
The main challenge is to get the Sinaloa producers to attend, since they often go to other parts of the world to exhibitions and the event destined for them here in Sinaloa, due mainly to the workload of the season, among other factors. That’s why we are looking for exhibitors to present technology that will generate interest.
- Anything else you want to add?
Expo Agro Sinaloa is an event that benefits the entire state and is often not valued enough. There have been other events outside of Sinaloa and they are considered to compete directly with us, however, I believe that it is not competition since finally each event is destined to different sectors and it is necessary to strengthen each one of them.
The exhibitions are nothing more to sell, an Expo is to show, to learn and to train as well.