By Sheldon Spackman

One of the biggest Agricultural events in the country is now underway at Red Deer’s Westerner Park.

The 33rd annual Agri-Trade Equipment Expo opened at 9:00am on Wednesday, November 9th and features more than 500 exhibitors representing all areas of the Agriculture industry, which is more than ever before.

For four days, attendees can check out the newest equipment, technology and services in the agriculture industry and not just in Western Canada but globally. Agri-Trade is where agricultural producers get to experience first-hand the latest in Agricultural innovations.

Event Show Manager Dave Fiddler says “Agri-Trade is the right show, in the right place at the right time”, adding “the soil in the Central Alberta region is amongst the most productive in the country, with farmers and ranchers from Manitoba to B.C. all coming to Red Deer to check it out.

Fiddler expects Agri-Trade to have an economic impact of roughly $70 million dollars this year through things such as equipment sales, agricultural product sales and travel and tourism activity. He says that’s in line with the last couple of years for Agri-Trade in Red Deer.

As for attendance, Fiddler says the nice weather is good and bad, in that it’s good for people wanting to attend that need to travel but could also keep the farmers away who are still out on the fields bringing in their crops.

None the less, exhibitors, booths and activities are set up at the Centrium, Parkland Pavilion, Prairie and Stockmens Pavilions, Harvest Centre and Agricentre.

Agri-Trade runs from 9:00am-5:00pm Wednesday November 9th to Friday, November 11th and again on Saturday, November 12th from 9:00am – 3:00pm.

For more information, check out this link from the Westerner Park website:

http://westernerpark.ca/events/187-agritrade

(Picture courtesy of Westerner Park)