Erga & Associate Plans Israeli 2018 Agritech Exhibition

By Justina Uzo

Erga & Associate, an Abuja-based company has urged Nigerians to explore the opportunities of the latest agricultural innovations and know-how at the 20th international agricultural exhibition which will take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, from May 6-14, 2018.
The eight-day tour include attending Agritech exhibition, a unique opportunity to observe the most modern Israeli agriculture technologies and to visit agriculture farms, R& D institutes and the famous historical Holy Sites in Israel.
Agritech is one of the world’s most important exhibitions in the field of agricultural technologies attracting delegates and partners from across the world.
The annual Agritech brings together the wide range and most qualified agricultural personalities worldwide for the sector to optimize opportunities.
Thousands visit Israel annually. The country is one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, and the thrust of tourists coming to Israel is pilgrimage. Medical tourism is flourishing in that region and Israel’s medical tourism is considered one of the best in the world. Apart from tourism, agriculture is the lifeblood of that economy. No wonder more than 10,000 senior officials, managers will be participating at 2018 Agritech conference expected to attract manufacturers , corporate bodies as it will discuss areas relevant to manufacturing, irrigation and marketing.
The organisers said the 20th edition of Agrictech has expanded its benefits, additional advantages are offered. Experts will examine issues of competitiveness and sustainability. The conference will focus on techniques and solutions of various agriculture farming, food preservation as well as water and irrigation technology. Israel Agritech is organised once in every three years in cooperation with Israel Ministry of Economy and Industry, Israel Export Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel, Kenes Exhibition among others.
Mr. Yaron Aharon of Erga Associate urged Nigerians to be part of the opportunities at Agritech 2018, saying that it will help to move Nigeria agricultural sector forward. Agriculture, he said, is a major factor in diversifying any economy.
Yaron said representatives from the agricultural sector in Nigeria have been participating at Agritech in the past and listed those they are targeting to include people and groups involved in manufacturing, marketing, R&D as well as those involved in the various agricultural sectors, both directly or indirectly to take part of the Agrictech event.
He added: “The advantage of attending our tour group will be a unique opportunity to observe the most modern Israeli agriculture technologies and to visit Historical Holy Christian/Muslims Sites. Participants will visit the Dead Sea, amazing Jerusalem, the city of all time which is just an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv. They will also see The Golan Highs, Lake of Galilee and The Negev.”

‘Our Dream for Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone
Bayo Adeoye
T he Chairman, House Committee on Nigeria-China Relations, Yusuf Yakub Buba, has expressed satisfaction with the level of operation within the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone in Igbesa, Ogun State.
On March 12, 2018, Buba led members of his committee on a courtesy visit to the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone in order to carry out first hand assessment of operation within the Free Trade Zone. Buba said the committee was created to make sure that the relationship between Nigeria and China is cordial and stable.
He said, “Nigeria and China have something related- China is the most populated country in the world and Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria has a lot to learn from China in terms of industrialization that is why Speaker Yakubu Dogara came up with the committee on Nigeria-China Relations, and part of our target is to achieve made in Nigeria products through the bilateral relations.”
In his own speech, the Managing Director of Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Mr. Wilson Wu, said, “Nigeria has a lot of advantages to derive from this Free Trade Zone in terms of industrialisation, revenue generation, empowerment and technology transformation for all the youths in Nigeria. “Our prospect is to build a city which is 100 square metre like Dubai or Hong Kong which will be a quite special place in Nigeria. We are going to have manufacturing companies here; we will have housing estate, polo club, golf club and other things that will be very attractive for Nigeria. This is our prospect and I believe that with the support of the Nigerian government, the National Assembly, the State Government, we can make this dream come true.”
Members of the committee toured facilities at the trade zone which also accommodates the largest producer of floor and wall tiles in Africa. There was mixed feelings of opportunities, challenges as members of the committee were satisfied that more than 80 percent of raw materials for the products on display were locally sourced, but expressed worry that no indigenous company made the list of companies operating in the Trade Zone.
Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone was floated in 2008. It has attracted upcoming and fast-rising businesses; and to date, the Trade Zone has 42 enterprises already registered for this programme. Just like they aligned with the programme, 23 of them are already operational, and 13 are in the making, ready to go with their construction works in progress, and other 6 enterprises are changing or expanding the natures of their current business to meet the new challenges from the market.
Meanwhile, there are efforts in the pipeline for other Asian countries like Lebanon and India to take a portion in the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone and spread the joy of industrialization. The advantages of this Free Trade Zone could be likened to the manufacturing of quality plastic products, mattresses, ceramics, hair touching, diapers, furniture, batteries, steel pipes, electronics, cartons and plastics recycling and many more. For now, the giant in the zone is Goodwin Ceramics, the biggest producer of wall and floor tiles in Africa. There is also Sun Ceramic, the biggest domestic ceramic producer in Nigeria.
Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone is one of the first batch of eight foreign cooperation zones of China. It’s the brainchild of the China-Africa Summit Forum in Beijing in 2006, Promotion of China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, and Intensification of the commercial communication between China and Africa.