FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, is eyeing closer partnerships with Qatar to help the Gulf nation address its requirements in the agriculture industry, an official has said.“As an Italian industry, we can provide the appropriate solutions for Qatar, especially in areas such as irrigation, vertical farming, smart farming through greenhouses, and robotics, among others. We are global leaders in providing and designing solutions for greenhouses, especially for vegetables. In 2025, we are planning to increase FederUnacoma’s promotional activities in those particular areas” its deputy general manager Fabio Ricci told Gulf Times on the sidelines of EIMA International 2024, which was formally inaugurated here on Wednesday. EIMA International 2024 or the ‘International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition’ is on its 46th edition and will conclude on November 10.According to Ricci, Qatar’s desert climate and lack of arable lands pose a wide range of challenges to growing different types of produce, as well as to the nation’s food security strategy, citing desertification as a priority issue.Ricci said: “We know that some of the main challenges in this area are desertification and greenhouses because most of the vegetables in Qatar are grown in greenhouses. Vertical farming and managing water for irrigation systems are among the many areas that Italy can provide with support, technology, and expertise.“We are aware that Qatar has some niches where Italian technology could play a fundamental role to increase the level of mechanisation in those areas. Aside from water consumption, Qatar needs fertile land to increase the number of hectares of cultivated lands.”In early 2024 through the auspices of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in Doha, Ricci led a delegation from FederUnacoma and industry experts from Italy’s private sector and the academe during 2023 Expo Doha to promote EIMA International 2024 and to showcase Italy’s most advanced machines and equipment to cultivate arid soils and to create highly automated farming models.This year’s exhibition kicked off in Bologna with over 1,750 participating industries, 700 of which are international companies covering every market segment. EIMA International 2024 is showcasing cutting-edge vehicles, machinery, and advanced digital systems for an increasingly scientific agriculture industry connected to the service system and other production sectors.Speaking at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Bologna, FederUnacoma general director Simona Rapastella, presented the exhibition’s leading role in machinery and technologies for agriculture, forestry, livestock farming and greenery maintenance.“The EIMA international exhibition raises expectations ever higher by offering technological solutions to the great challenges of agriculture and the environment. Population growth, climate change, polluting emissions, animal welfare, and the protection of biodiversity are all crucial issues for the future of the planet and can only be addressed with new generation agro-mechanical technologies,” Rapastella emphasised.Organised into 14 product sectors and five thematic shows: Components, Digital, Energy, Green, and Hydrotech, EIMA offers a wide platform to increase agricultural productivity while drastically reducing its impact on the environment. There are approximately 60,000 models of vehicles, equipment, and components produced by over 1,750 exhibiting industries, 700 of which are from 50 countries, on display at the Bologna Exhibition Centre.Rapastella stressed that the technical content of the exhibition has set a new record for ‘Technical Innovations’ awarded. Similarly, the numerous previews and new products presented by participating manufacturers, as well as the presence of the EIMA Campus, where eleven universities are represented, together with research centres and training facilities, have elevated the event to greater heights.During the five-day event, many representatives of the Italian government and institutions will be present, including delegations of European and national parliamentarians, and diplomats from foreign countries, to explore the most suitable technological solutions for their respective regions. They will also take part in the discussion on agricultural models, the economic and geopolitical variables that influence trade, and cooperation strategies.According to Rapastella, this year's EIMA event will also feature digital and robotic technologies, including applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data, which now makes it possible to connect the activities of agricultural companies to weather forecasting systems, mapping and control of territories, and the monitoring of products for health purposes, management of agro-industrial supply chains, distribution on markets, as well as control of the operating parameters of machinery for technical assistance and work safety.Rapastella said: “Modern mechanisation thus allows companies to remain competitive and to keep pace with the ecological needs of the planet and allows agriculture to be included within a macro-system that involves everyone, from consumers to institutions, and even the world of school and training. This is why this exhibition is no longer merely an ‘industry event’ but rather an ‘Innovation Factory’, open to agro-industrial supply chains and related economic sectors, and very much looking towards the future.