By Sheldon Spackman

CFR makes way for Agri-Trade at Westerner Park

Nov 5, 2018 | 3:51 PM

An event billed as the ‘Best Agricultural Equipment Buying Show in Canada’ returns to Red Deer’s Westerner Park this week.

Fresh off the heels of CFR 45, Agri-Trade Equipment Expo 2018 runs from November 7-9 and features 470 exhibitors sprawled out over 200,000 sq.ft of indoor exhibit space and 100,000 sq.ft of outdoor exhibit space.

With 28,000 people expected to attend the three-day event, show manager David Fiddler says the focus will be the business of agriculture, farming, ranching, the equipment involved and the latest technology.

“The show is built around its exhibitors, so any new inventions, any new features that any of the exhibitors have, quite often they select Agri-Trade as the place to launch those new products,” he explains. “Many of the companies have some new product launches this year.”

Fiddler points-out an important aspect of the show is also its Ag-Innovation Awards. This year’s winners include Northern Strands for their Grain Bin Fall Protections System, IntraGrian Technologies- Fuel Lock™ fuel management system and GrainViz for their suite of storage options which are said to provide real time insights, detection and traceability into every bushel while protecting commodity value and increasing profitability.

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“We honour them on Thursday evening with a presentation,” states Fiddler. “Instead of giving them a plaque or something to hang on their wall, we donate to the charity of their choice. We also have a focus on youth and we have a number of bursaries and scholarships that we give to students from Red Deer College, Olds College and Lakeland College in Vermillion.”

Fiddler says a Rural Crime symposium will follow Thursday’s award presentations, taking place Friday, November 9 at the Westerner Park Chalet.

A joint venture between the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce and Westerner Park, Fiddler feels Red Deer is a great fit for Agri-Trade.

“One of the reasons that this is such a great location is this is one of the most productive regions in Canada for producing crops and livestock,” states Fiddler. “It’s a very strategic location for a show of this nature. Red Deer is a friendly community, easy access to the grounds, farmers love it because parking is easy and it’s the right time of year because its right after harvest and farmers know what they’ve got in the bin, they know what they’ve got to spend and they’re making plans for next year.”

Fiddler says Agri-Trade results in a big economic impact to the local economy, with lots of business taking place between attendees and exhibitors during the show.

“In excess of $250 million in equipment and tourism sales,” adds Fiddler. “Restaurants, hotels, people buy tires and gas and everything, so it’s a huge economic generator.” We’ve got farmers and attendees that come from as far away as Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and as well as from throughout Alberta.”

Fiddler notes however that Agri-Trade 2018 is a three day show this year, down from being a four-day event in previous years.

“The show was traditionally Wednesday to Saturday but we polled our exhibitors over the last three years and significant response from the exhibitors, over 70 per cent wanted to see the show shortened by one day,” says Fiddler. “So we are now just a Wednesday to Friday event, 9 – 5 each day.”