EIMA is an international agricultural show that takes place every two years in Bologna, Italy. Latest equipment is exhibited and this is what encouraged me to visit and see with my own eyes.  All sorts or machines that a farmer would ever dream of, was there under one roof. This year I have worked on a project, together with Damian Vella, a fellow student of mine, that was related to a product being launched at this exhibition. This product is a ‘Smart  water management system’, which consists of sensors connected to the internet. It makes irrigation more efficient and precise.

Most of the machines exhibited will never be seen here in Malta due their gigantic nature. One exhibitor joked about it by telling me that “to use these you need to level the whole island into one field!”. On the contrary, there were other machines that are very relevant to Malta such as potato harvesters, rotivators, and seeders. A machine that fascinated me was a tomato harvester of massive proportions. It speeds up the harvesting process and needs 4 persons to man it while operating. Unfortunately this cannot be used in Malta due to the fragmented nature of Maltese holdings.

Ironically, the major attraction of the exhibition was the range of racing tractors. This surely had never crossed my mind before I saw them in action! Some companies organise rallies for agri fanatics that would get a thrill out of sporting such a vehicle. Most of the machines exhibited will never be seen here in Malta due their gigantic nature. One exhibitor joked about it by telling me that “to use these you need to level the whole island into one field!”. On the contrary, there were other machines that are very relevant to Malta such as potato harvesters, rotovators, and seeders. A machine that fascinated me was a tomato harvester of massive proportions. It speeds up the harvesting process and needs 4 persons to man it while operating. Unfortunately this cannot be used in Malta due to the fragmented nature of Maltese holdings.

I would recommend others to attend this exhibition as it is an eye opener on how the agricultural sector is evolving in Europe and around the world.

Article written by Stephen Bartolo; November 2012

About the writer: Stephen Bartolo is from Rabat, and is a Diploma student at the MCAST Agribusiness. His agricultural background enhances the theory leant at the College. He is enthusiastic about anything related to his preferred sector, Horticulture.