Warm weather helped organizers set a new attendance record at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show.
Almost 20,000 people walked through the doors at the four-day event held at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. The 19,948 total is a 15.8 percent increase over 2011.
A total of 306 companies showcased technology services and products at the event, occupying 993 trade show booths.
“Outstanding weather combined with a strong agriculture economic climate (contributed) to record attendance at this year’s show,” Prairie-land Park agriculture manager Lori Cates said in a news release.
Read Also
U.S. loses out on sales of soybean to China
U.S. soybean exporters risk missing out on billions of dollars worth of sales to China this year as trade talks drag on and buyers in the top oilseed importer lock in cargoes from Brazil.
Across the city, producers met with commodity associations and experts at Crop Production Week, which is held concurrently with the production show.
Co-ordinator Kevin Hursh wasn’t able to provide detailed attendance figures at the meetings.
Attendance at the Jan. 11 special session with Geoff Honey of Grain Trade Australia was approximately 400, he said, while the newer canaryseed session saw more than 100 attendees.
While the two shows aren’t organized together, what’s good for one is good for the other, he said.
“It shows that there’s money in the farm community,” he said.
“Save for the people that had real terrible flooding problems, a lot of other producers have done well and done well in the past few years.”
The event saw some significant announcements, including the confirmation of glyphosate-resistant kochia in Alberta, but Hursh said Canadian Wheat Board discussions hung over the week.
“Even though it didn’t appear obviously directly as an agenda item, I think that the changes in wheat, durum and barley marketing was sort of a background theme in all of the meetings,” said Hursh.
He said the show will continue to evolve, with the possible inclusion of new groups.
The CWB’s future with the show is uncertain, he added.
“It’s too early to say whether or not they want or if it will be appropriate for them to remain part of Crop Production Week,” said Hursh.
“So there’s always changes, a little bit of juggling back and forth … but overall I think it’s still a very useful format to have all of the groups in one place.”
