The 9th ReCAMA Training and Study Tour for Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors was organized by the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in cooperation with the China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association (CAMDA), the China Agricultural Mechanization Association (CAMA) and the China Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association (CAAMM) from 21 to 28 October 2024 in Guangzhou and Changsha, China.
31 representatives from 10 ReCAMA member associations attended the event, and company visits, a field demonstration, the 10th ReCAMA Members Meeting, a B2B Gala, and a 2024 China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition (CIAME) visit were held within the scope of the program. Necip Elibol and Yusuf Yüksel from Elibollar company and TARMAKBİR Academic Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. A. Behiç Tekin participated in the program as TARMAKBİR delegates.
The tour was designed to highlight the potential of harvest and post-harvest mechanization developments for the sustainable transformation of food production in the Asia-Pacific Region. In this context, the Guangzhou leg of the program focused on small and medium-scale agricultural equipment, especially for delegates from countries with geographical features close to Southern China.
Participants first visited enterprises specializing in agricultural drones, agricultural machinery research and development, and agricultural, aquaculture and livestock management equipment in Guangzhou from October 22-24 to examine advanced agrarian technologies. On October 24, they visited a fully automated farm of South China Agricultural University in Zengcheng, where the use of AI-powered machines in harvesting and post-harvest operations was demonstrated.
Following the Guangzhou visits, the program continued in Changsha. After the opening speeches at the 10th Members’ Meeting of ReCAMA held on October 25, attended by 45 participants from 15 member associations, the new term president and vice president were elected. The Vietnam Agricultural Engineering Association will take on the role of President for 2025 and the Mongolian National Farmers’ Association will become Vice President, as decided following the Members’ Meeting, which TARMAKBİR Secretary General M. Selami İleri attended. In the second part of the meeting, representatives from member associations shared their knowledge and experiences on harvest and post-harvest mechanization in their countries through presentations. As it is known, “harvest and post-harvest mechanization”, which is ReCAMA’s focus in 2024, is of vital importance in supporting food security and contributing to a more stable, efficient and sustainable food supply system. In the last part of the meeting, first, the results achieved by ReCAMA in 2024 and then the 2025 work plan were discussed. Accordingly, the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence, automation and digitalization in their application in agricultural mechanization, have been determined as the focus theme of ReCAMA for 2025.
In the last part of the program, the participants visited the CIAME International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition at the Changsha New China International Exhibition Center from October 26 to 27.
