LUÍS EDUARDO MAGALHÃES, Brazil – The 20th edition of Bahia Farm Show concluded with strong growth across key indicators, reinforcing its position as one of Brazil’s leading agricultural exhibitions despite a challenging economic environment for the sector.

Organized by the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (Aiba), the event attracted 172,328 visitors, a 6% increase compared to the previous edition. The exhibition also recorded significant expansion in industry participation, hosting 554 exhibitors, up 28% year-over-year, and 1,421 represented brands, a 26% increase. Organizers have already confirmed that the next edition will take place from June 7-12, 2027.

The results were presented during a closing press conference attended by Moisés Schmidt, President of Aiba and Bahia Farm Show; Alessandra Zanotto Costa, President of the Bahia Cotton Producers Association (Abapa); Maicon Crestani, President of the Association of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Dealers of Bahia (Assomiba); Jarbas Bergamaschi, President of Fundação Bahia; and Alan Malinski, General Coordinator of Bahia Farm Show.

According to Schmidt, the event exceeded expectations at a time when many agricultural segments continue to face financial pressure.

“The agricultural sector remains optimistic by nature, and this fair demonstrates that confidence. Farmers, exhibitors, and sponsors believed in the event, and producers attended in large numbers to evaluate technologies, conduct business, and strengthen relationships,” said Schmidt.

Government participation also contributed to the positive atmosphere. Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin attended the opening ceremony alongside federal ministers and state authorities, announcing new financing initiatives, including the Move Brasil program, which will allocate approximately R$14 billion in credit for agricultural machinery purchases.

Demand Diversifies Beyond Grain Production

While machinery sales remained an important focus, exhibitors reported increasing interest in solutions beyond traditional row-crop production.

According to Maicon Crestani, President of Assomiba, demand expanded toward livestock equipment, soil preparation technologies, and diversified production systems.

“Given high interest rates, limited credit availability, and market uncertainty, expectations were initially cautious. However, we observed strong visitor traffic and a broader range of purchasing interests, reflecting producers’ efforts to improve efficiency and diversify operations,” Crestani noted.

Cotton and Soybean Performance Support Optimism

For Alessandra Zanotto Costa, President of Abapa, strong soybean yields and favorable expectations for cotton production helped encourage producer participation.

She highlighted the inauguration of Abapa’s new Fiber Analysis Center during the fair and the success of the Cotton Village exhibition area, which showcased the importance of cotton production to western Bahia and the broader Matopiba region.

Innovation and Knowledge Transfer

Organizers emphasized that Bahia Farm Show has evolved beyond a commercial exhibition into a platform for technology transfer and professional development.

General Coordinator Alan Malinski noted that investments in educational activities, technical tours, and student participation continue to strengthen the event’s role as a hub for agricultural innovation.

Similarly, Jarbas Bergamaschi, President of Fundação Bahia, said the fair served as an important venue for researchers, producers, industry representatives, and institutions to exchange knowledge and discuss future challenges and opportunities for Brazilian agriculture.

Family Farming and Technical Outreach Expand

The event also increased visibility for family farming operations. A dedicated pavilion hosted 34 exhibitors, representing a 21% increase compared to 2025.

Meanwhile, organized visitor groups remained a key feature of the exhibition. Bahia Farm Show welcomed 265 technical caravans, bringing more than 10,000 producers, students, consultants, and industry professionals from different regions of Brazil.

Media participation also expanded, with 201 accredited journalists and a 40% increase in digital content creators, including international media representatives.

Among the highlights of this year’s edition were the Startup Space, the Vozes do Agro discussion platform, the fair’s first livestock auction, expanded food facilities, and new infrastructure improvements.

The inaugural BFS auction, organized through a partnership between Aiba and Agro Antônio Balbino, generated approximately R$3 million in transactions.

With record attendance, increased exhibitor participation, and strong engagement from both producers and policymakers, organizers believe the 20th edition further strengthened Bahia Farm Show’s position as one of Latin America’s most influential agricultural events.

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Photo by Julia Koblitz on Unsplash

Out of 168 registrations of Formulated Products based on Equivalent Technical Products, 60 resulted from legal action, meaning more than one-third of approvals.

This statement comes from Flavio Hirata, an agronomist and expert in pesticide registration, and a partner at the consulting firm AllierBrasil.

In Brazil, he notes, the largest and most attractive agrochemical market in the world, the product registration process is quite slow, taking over 12 years for the evaluation of generic or equivalent products (Formulated Product based on Equivalent Technical Product).

According to a survey by AllierBrasil (2023), of the 168 registrations of generic Formulated Products approved in 2022, 52.38% took 6 years or more for approval.

This approval time has remained stable for the past four years, being much longer in previous years.

For this reason, Hirata points out that the year 2022 saw a record number of pesticide registration evaluations through legal actions.

“Highlighting the companies Rainbow (13.4%), Iharabras (13.4%), Adama (7.5%), Perterra (7.5%), and Syncrom (7.5%), which together accounted for 49.3% of legal actions, or 33 processes out of a total of 67, including all Chemical Formulated Products,” notes the expert.

According to him, the registration of Equivalent Formulated Products represented 90% of legal actions, or 60 out of 67 actions, with 24 mixtures of active ingredients against 43 isolated products, totaling 27 active ingredients.

No legal action was found related to technical products registered in 2022.

“The majority of actions had Anvisa and Ibama as defendants, 71.79%, while for only Anvisa or Ibama, the percentage was 28.21% of actions. The survey did not investigate actions against the Ministry of Agriculture,” emphasizes Hirata.

According to the unpublished report “Judicial Action, Decision by Federal Court – 2022,” prepared by AllierBrasil and Mazza & Manente de Almeida Advogados, not all legal action requests are successful, especially in obtaining injunctions, by the Judiciary.

Some Courts have a higher number of approvals, while in others, the appeal to the second instance is more frequent.

“In the same survey conducted by AllierBrasil (2023), when comparing the time for approval of registrations ‘without legal action’ versus ‘with legal action,’ it is possible to demonstrate that legal action significantly reduces the approval time,” states the expert.

“In 2023, there was a continued rise in companies turning to the court system and an uptick in the number of lawsuits being filed. For 2024, Joint Ordinance No. 3 may expedite the evaluation of registration processes, but the procedures are still being discussed by the authorities. Regarding the much-discussed Pesticide Bill (PL No. 1,459/2022), it is still too early to predict whether the project will reduce the registration time, even if it is fully sanctioned without any veto,” he concludes.

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