In response to the economic turmoil from COVID-19, Congress passed six economic relief and stimulus bills in 2020 to provide financial assistance to farm businesses and farm households. USDA and other government agencies worked to implement authorized programs in 2020 and 2021.

Farm Sector Income During the Pandemic

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) releases farm income and financial forecasts three times per year. How the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected the 2020-21 farm financial indicators is reflected in the current farm income estimates and forecasts, released on September 2, 2021.

During the pandemic, the farm income outlook evolved because of changing conditions, including changes in commodity prices, production, and government support. For example, projections for the value of agricultural sector production, a key component of farm income, shifted throughout 2020 and 2021.

In early February 2020, just prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in the U.S., the combined value of production for eight major crops—barley, corn, upland cotton, oats, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat—for the crop year 2020/21 was forecast at $108.8 billion based on price and production quantity projections from USDA Agricultural Projections to 2029. Starting in May 2020, the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report had price and production projections for the crop year 2020/21 and with the June 2020 WASDE report, the combined value of production forecast was revised down 5 percent, to $103.7 billion.

Three months later, in September 2020, the forecast was revised up, to $110 billion, 1 percent above the pre-pandemic February 2020 forecast. With the May 2021 WASDE report, the 2020/21 crop year price and production projections became estimates, and the value of production was estimated at $128.0 billion, 18 percent above the February 2020 forecast. Most of the upward revisions in September 2020 and May 2021 were because of higher commodity prices rather than changes in production quantities. Any further revisions to the WASDE data for 2020/21 after May 2021 are likely to be small.

The 2020 forecast for the combined value of production of six major animal/animal products (beef, pork, broilers, turkeys, eggs, and milk) fluctuated throughout the 2020 calendar year but remained lower than the pre-pandemic forecast. The pre-pandemic January 2020 forecast of the combined value of production for beef, pork, broilers, turkeys, eggs, and milk was $144.1 billion. In June 2020, that forecast was revised to $17.9 billion (12 percent). The September 2020 forecast was slightly higher than the June forecast at $127.5 billion. By May 2021, the value of production was estimated at $131.3 billion, 9 percent below the pre-pandemic January 2020 forecast.

For the farm income forecasts, ERS creates calendar-year forecasts of cash receipts and value of production based on the WASDE and other data.

Federal Financial Assistance to the Agriculture Sector

In response to the economic turmoil from COVID-19, Congress passed 6 economic relief and stimulus bills in 2020. Using the authority from one of the bills, the USDA created the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which was specifically targeted to farm operations. Other Federal departments and agencies created more general programs for which some farm operations were eligible, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), or expanded eligibility to the agriculture sector (such as expanded eligibility for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)).

Coronavirus Food Assistance Programs

USDA developed and implemented two rounds of funding for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. We refer to the original round as CFAP 1 and the second round as CFAP 2. Both rounds combined provided $23.5 billion ($10.5 billion from CFAP 1 and $13.0 billion from CFAP 2) in direct payments to farmers and ranchers in 2020. CFAP provided direct payments to producers who faced market disruptions, increased production costs, and reduced farm-level prices.

Payments reported on farmers.gov at the end of 2020 from both rounds of CFAP totaled $11.5 billion for producers of animal and animal products and $12.0 billion for crop producers.

The USDA website provides additional details about CFAP programs, including current levels of payments under CFAP1 and CFAP2 by commodity and State.

USDA Pandemic Assistance to Producers

On March 24, 2021, USDA announced a new initiative, USDA Pandemic Assistance to Producers, to provide financial assistance to producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion to this initiative that aims to reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 relief programs. USDA has made additional payments to producers under existing CFAP programs and also rolled out new programs under the initiative. More information about USDA Pandemic Assistance to the sector, including direct payments to producers, may be found on the farmers.gov website.

While much of the assistance is to be paid directly to farmers, the initiative includes some provisions for funding research, training, and outreach. And some payments are not targeted for farm operations. In the ERS farm income statistics, only direct, financial assistance to agricultural producers is included as income.

Paycheck Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a program implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and intended to help small businesses—including farm operations—keep employees on the payroll and/or bring back furloughed or laid-off workers. To be eligible, a business needed to either have positive employee payroll costs or positive income, and the loan would be forgiven if used to meet the program criteria.

Under this criteria, 2019 ARMS data indicated that 72 percent of all family farm operations would have been eligible to receive a PPP loan. Using publicly available data from the SBA, we found that in 2020 the agriculture sector received $6.0 in PPP forgivable loans. The crop sector received $3.9 billion (65 percent of the total) and the livestock sector received $2.1 billion (35 percent of the total). In 2021, farms received $8.7 billion in forgivable PPP loans based on SBA data through June 30, 2021.

COVID-19 Related Assistance for Family Farm Households

Farm households may be affected by the pandemic through loss of wages and benefits from off-farm jobs or off-farm businesses that supplement income from farming. Family farm households could receive Federal COVID-19 related financial assistance from two main sources: Economic Impact Payments and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.

Economic Impact Payments

Economic Impact Payments (EIP) were meant to provide households with an immediate injection of cash to spur demand and mitigate the economic downturn. The full EIP amount in 2020 was $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for couples filing jointly, and households with dependents received an additional $500 per dependent.

ERS estimated the amount of these payments using 2019 ARMS data. These estimates indicate that the median married farm household would have received an EIP equivalent to 30 percent of one month’s income, while the median unmarried farm household would have received payments equivalent to 24 percent of one month’s income. These estimates will be revised when the 2020 ARMS data are released in December 2021.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $600 per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) to those who were unemployed from March 29 to July 25 in 2020 due to the pandemic. These FPUC benefits were in addition to existing State unemployment benefits and were available to anyone who qualified for at least $1 of unemployment benefits.

According to 2019 ARMS data, 71 percent of farm households had one or more household members who earned off-farm salaries or wages. Among those farm households reporting off-farm income, 89 percent of their total household income was attributed to off-farm sources. Excluding residence farms (small farms whose principal operators report being retired from farming or having a primary occupation other than farming), 57 percent had off-farm income that contributed 45 percent of their total income.

Farm Household Income and the Pandemic

The latest ERS farm household income estimates for 2020 and forecasts for 2021 were released on September 2, 2021, and reflect the observed and expected continued effects of the pandemic. Please visit the Farm Household Well-being topic page to learn more.

For households that operate a farm, total household income is a combination of income earned from the farm and off-farm income. Off-farm income sources vary by household. In 2019, the majority (61 percent) came from wages and salaries of operators and other household members, and the remainder came from:

• transfer income (19 percent),
• non-farm business income (11 percent),
• interest and dividend income (4 percent), and
• other sources of income (6 percent).

Of these, the loss of wages and salaries earned off the farm is most likely to result in a decline in household income because of COVID-19.

On December 1, 2021, ERS will release estimates of 2020 farm household income based on data from the 2020 ARMS. Summaries and analyses of farm household income based on the 2019 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) do not cover the pandemic but can provide insights into the potential impact of COVID-19 on farm households, including decreased employment rates in 2020.

Source: USDA

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From the very onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, JCB took a proactive approach to protect their employees and continues to do so with extraordinary measures.

“Out of concern for our employees and as the situation changed, JCB has continually adapted procedures to be the most up to date with CDC recommended guidelines. Currently, we’ve implemented office rotations with half of our team present at a time, require temperature checks upon entry, set up hand sanitizer stations throughout our facility, require masks at all times when employees move throughout the building, and have restricted visitors.”

said Tonya Poole, vice president of Human Resources for JCB North America.

Continuing this proactive approach, in January, JCB implemented mandatory PCR COVID testing every Thursday which is available both at the office and offsite for those who were working on remote rotation. Additionally, new leave policies support employees who must take time off related to COVID, and in June, the company offered antibody testing for any interested employee.

“And now that the vaccine is available, we’re offering vaccines at no cost for our employees and their immediate family members to help protect them against COVID. The vaccines are being administered on-site and each person who is immunized will be given a gift card in recognition of their consideration of others.”

Poole explained.

As a leader in the manufacturing industry offering world-class agriculture and construction equipment, JCB has also been a leader in responding to the COVID virus quickly and proactively in the best interest of their employees.

Source: JCB

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Giving away nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables has been, and still is, our response to the economic disarray resulting from the coronavirus situation.

Our food donation program has been entirely funded privately by Agrotonomy and its officers. Agrotonomy is not a non-profit organization, and this is why, in 2021, we will be reducing slightly our donation program to 75% of our entire production, versus 95% in 2020.

Our initiative has been well-publicized through Facebook and other social media platforms: our efforts have inspired many other farmers and gardeners around the world to share a certain percentage of their harvests with their disadvantaged neighbors.

Agrotonomy has set up the first aeroponic vertical farms in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East: We are currently working with our partner Tower Farms in Africa and Southeast Asia to launch similar fresh food donation programs as well.

The problem with most food bank initiatives is that due to logistics, the majority of all foods collected and donated are either canned and/or processed. This is why we believe in contributing to ‘the solution’ by donating pesticide-free and highly nutritious fresh crops to those in need.

We use aeroponic towers which allow us to save up to 95% water in comparison to conventional farming.

Aside from our food donation program in Ibiza, Spain, we are also the team behind Towers Without Borders Inc., a US non-profit organization (501-C3 registered in Arizona). Towers Without Borders is a charity committed to set up aeroponic vertical farms for orphanages around the world.

From seeds to seedlings, and from seedlings to harvests, children are encouraged through various programs to get involved with growing plants. Teaching children the value of food security is the best gift that we can give to the next generation of adults.

Over the next 18 months, with the support of Agrotonomy’s team, Towers Without Borders will be setting up 3 vertical farms for orphanages in Mexico, Colombia, and Kenya. We were supposed to be almost done with these 3 projects by mid-2021, however, due to COVID-19, their implementation has been significantly delayed.

Although Agrotonomy is still committed to developing fully automated aeroponic Tower Farms around the world for the commercial sector, our passion truly lies in our charitable endeavors!

Ron Finley (the ‘gangsta gardener’) once said “Growing food is like printing your own money”: such a statement bears even a stronger meaning when we are all going through a pandemic….. 2021 is going to be a challenging year! You can count on us to donate up to 75% of our production

Source: Agrotronomy

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Senova, a German manufacturer of medical laboratory equipment for in vitro diagnostics, and ams, an Austrian sensor specialist, are developing a highly accurate antibody test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The power supply of the electronic disposable tests will be ensured with lithium button cells CR2032 from Varta. One primary cell will be installed in each test. The world’s most widely used cell is planned to be delivered in large quantities for the start of the production of the test strips.

“For Senova and ams, it is important to work with a manufacturer that sets standards in terms of quality and can ensure production and delivery capacities. We are happy that VARTA was able to convince them,”

says Philipp Miehlich, General Manager OEM Varta Microbattery.

For the antibody tests, the lateral flow technique already known from various early detection tests for example in the area of pregnancy and heart attacks was applied and further developed. Compared to other rapid tests, the producers promise ten-fold higher detection sensitivity. Another advantage of the electronic antibody tests is their decentralized use, for example in doctors’ offices. The test no longer has to be sent to a laboratory for evaluation.

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The National Farm Machinery Show is held annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center and is the largest indoor farm show in the country, featuring 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space. The show is a key player in the agriculture industry, featuring the most comprehensive display of equipment, services, and technology. Top brands unveil the latest models of tractors, combines, and technological advances each year.

“We know how important this show is to the global agricultural community and with vaccines on the horizon, moving the National Farm Machinery Show allows more time to deliver a safe event. Our new registration process will allow people to reserve for specific days while maintaining a safe attendance cap during all show hours. After the success of our other events and earning accreditation from the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association for our sanitization and outbreak prevention procedures, we feel confident in our ability to safely produce this crucial event.”

said President and CEO of Kentucky Venues David S. Beck.

NFMS has enacted new procedures to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Those measures include:

• Every attendee will be required to register for the show, submitting their name and contact information for contact tracing and attendance management. Capacity will be capped to allow for 36 square feet of space per person at any given time.
• The trade show will be conducted in a hybrid model to allow for both in-person and virtual attendance.
• Facial coverings will be required for everyone in attendance.
• Increased hand sanitizer and handwashing stations will be available throughout the property.

The Championship Tractor Pull shows will be live-streamed and in-person attendance will be capped at 33%, which is 7,000 people. Only half of the rows in Freedom Hall will be available, with closed rows marked to prevent attendees from sitting in them. Additionally, closed seats will be placed between all parties to allow for social distancing. The Pit in Broadbent Arena will be closed to the public.

Source: Farm Machinery Show

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“Just making sure the company and its employees are doing well is not enough; our local communities must also do well if we are to succeed”,

says Krister Blomgren, CEO, Engcon Group.  

Nothing about 2020 turned out the way anyone could have imagined. With a recession on the cards, many were prepared for a tough year right from the beginning, but as it turned out, Covid 19 changed everything. Uncertainty, redundancies and a tougher existence characterised the year. On top of this, restrictions and cutbacks were introduced, and delivery disruptions and a reluctance to invest have made their jobs much more difficult for many. Because Engcon would like to thank its hard-working employees while also doing its bit to support local entrepreneurs wherever Engcon has a presence, this year’s Christmas gift to its employees will be local gift cards.  

“There’s a major need of support and a great willingness on our part to show how grateful we are to both our employees and the local communities where we have a presence. So, we’ve decided that our Christmas gifts to our employees will ‘go local’ with the aim of supporting local businesses and companies,”

says Krister Blomgren, Engcon Group CEO.

During the year, its employees gave 100 percent, which did not go unnoticed, and now Engcon would like to show its gratitude with a Christmas gift that also benefits local communities. 

“We’re in a position where we can provide support, thanks to the fact that we pulled the handbrake immediately when we saw the year ahead would be shaky. And although things didn’t turn out as bad as we first feared, the pandemic and its restrictions and disruptions has presented serious challenges. And our personnel around the world stepped up to meet them 100 percent. It’s something we’re truly grateful for,”

says Krister Blomgren, CEO, Engcon Group. He goes on to say:

“‘I’m deeply impressed by our personnel and the way they stepped up to solve the situations that arose. It’s also why we decided to thank them with a Christmas gift that’s a little larger than usual. They are worth it!” 

In practical terms, it means Engcon’s employees will receive gift cards valid in retail stores in the communities where Engcon has a presence, instead of making a mass purchase of the same Christmas gift to everyone.   

“Just making sure the company and its employees are doing well is not enough; our local communities must also do well if we are to succeed. It feels good to have made this decision”,

says Krister Blomgren. 

Engcon maintains a presence in 12 places, from Strömsund in the north of Sweden and Mennecy in France, to Hamden on the other side of the Atlantic in Connecticut, USA. 

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They are then adding the data produced by representative bodies such as the Confindustria Industry Exhibition Committee and by specialized research companies such as GRS, in order to monitor the exhibition phenomena in this unique situation. The participation of exhibitors – as emerges from the collected data – is lower than normal for all the events that took place in recent weeks, even if some of them have maintained a very high number of participating companies (such as the Boat Show of Genoa or the Mercante in Fiera of Parma).

The presence of the public varies from event to event: in some cases, there were significant numbers of visitors, in other cases the participation was affected more deeply by the restrictions linked to the health situation. However, the element that the organizers report unanimously is the professional connotation of the participating public. The disruptions caused by the emergency weigh more on the general public, while they affect a lot less the audience of businesspeople and professionals, who need to establish direct contact with the manufacturing companies and maintain a network of relationships with the industry players.

Although certainly in smaller numbers, the businesspeople who attended the recent exhibitions are “decision-makers” who travel to do business and choose exhibitions that are essential to their business. The composition of the public of foreign businesspeople is affected by the “geography of the crisis” since there are areas from which it is easier to organize travel and areas instead (see some South American countries such as Brazil and Colombia, some Gulf countries such as Kuwait and Oman, and some of the Balkan area such as Kosovo) where restrictions are more limiting.

The management of health facilities and procedures – another element that emerges clearly – does not suffer from any critical issues, since the obligations relating to temperature checks, sanitation of environments, use of masks, social distancing, and booking of the slots for refreshments are fulfilled in an orderly and fluid fashion. The visits to the stands are more targeted and the appointments agenda is mostly managed in concert with the exhibitors, so as not to cause crowds.

The monitoring carried out by GRS includes the one relating to the public’s perception of safety at the exhibition, which is particularly interesting:

“The data collected in recent months – read a GRS report – shows how visiting the exhibition is considered by the public as a very reassuring and comfortable experience, with over 70% of respondents reporting a high perception of reliability, compared to the 55% found among the frequenters of shopping centers, 48% among restaurant customers, 36% among the users of public transport, and just 17% recorded among visitors of children’s playgrounds”.

As far as EIMA is concerned, the organizational offices recorded a higher level of participation by exhibiting industries than the pandemic emergency could have led to predict – to date about 1,600 companies have confirmed their participation in EIMA next February. High participation by businesspeople is also expected (a recent survey conducted by the Unacma retailers association on the entire base of retailers reveals, for example, that over 85% of them intend to attend the Bologna Exhibition).

For the purpose of streamlining attendance at the exhibition, EIMA is able to take advantage of the Digital Preview, which takes place in virtual reality from 11 to 15 November. This enables the participants to select the most interesting company contacts and optimize appointment scheduling as much as possible. The gap caused by the travel difficulties from some countries will be reduced as much as possible through the establishment of “green corridors” promoted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on which the Federation is investing great efforts.

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Mark Cuban has some good advice for all the business people dealing with the coronavirus pandemic:

“Make use of whatever down-time you might have to brush up on the skills that might impress your future employer. Every interviewer from now on is going to ask you what skills did you add during the pandemic of 2020.”

He also suggests we use this time to become great at the work you want to do and add new skills to your repertoire.

This is excellent advice, but sometimes it’s hard to find educational opportunities for those of us in the water conservation business. Thanks to Jain Irrigation, this is changing. Recently Jain started providing regular irrigation training a couple of times a week for free to anyone wanting to improve their skills in irrigation, water management, and sustainability. The Jain Irrigation training sessions are inspiring water managers of all levels and in multiple water management fields.  This is your chance to join experts and enthusiasts to discover and share new techniques, smart tips, and new technology.

The webinars cover various subjects and many cover subjects that do not include information about Jain products. They cover topics like System Management In Controlled Environment Agriculture, Harvest Recommendations, Budgets, and Best Practices For Marketing Hemp, Critical Success Factors For Landscape Contractors, and many more. There are some specific to Jain Products, unique product offers, and discount pricing for Jain products offered during the instruction. However, the instructors and guests are very aware this is a learning experience and provide a positive learning experience for those who attend.

Future webinars are posted on Jain’s website. If you scroll down on that page, you will also see the previous webinars, and you can watch all these for no charge. Jain provides these at no cost as part of their conservation and sustainability message and helps fulfill their mission to leave this world better than you found it.

For all the runners, walkers, and water managers who like to listen on the go, the training is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Google podcasts. Just search Jain Irrigation training on the channels, and you will find all the episodes. If your favorite podcasts are on Stitcher or TuneIn, you can find them there too.

The instructors come from all over the irrigation industry. They include Landscape Architect, Lance Sweeney, Ag Irrigation Designer Perry Continente, The Hawthorne Gardening customer support team, Jim Kauth from Aqua Trac System in Arizona, and Ken Olson from Olson Business Solutions, to name a few. Also, President of Jain Irrigation, Aric Olson, discusses the future of Ag Technology and covers a three-part series on nitrogen and fertilizer for agriculture. You will also find several of the subject matter experts on products for Jain Irrigation presenting as well. It is a well-rounded group covering different but specific subjects each week.

A big thanks to Mark Cuban for helping us put this crisis in perspective and motivating us in a positive direction. Jain training is valuable now and in the future. There is so much to learn about water management, conservation, and sustainability and I look forward to many years of training from Jain.

Source: Jain

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Data analyzed by Unacea (Italian Construction Machinery Union) and Cer (European Research Centre) were presented today at Veronafiere during the 7^th edition of SaMoTer Day, the event organized for the run-up to the 31st SaMoTer, the international construction machinery exhibition scheduled 3-7 March 2021.

These figures are in line with the setback for world output caused by the pandemic, although there may already be some light at the end of the tunnel. The Unacea-Cer study seems to confirm this: the sector in Italy will probably improve in the second half-year to contain losses and close 2020, in the most optimistic scenario, at -8.7%, equal to 1,414 items of construction equipment in lost sales. Prospects for telehandlers (-9.7) and concrete machines (-10%) are similar, while road vehicles may see a downturn of just 2.7%.

The data summarised by Unacea-Cer also envisages a worsening scenario where new shocks would cause respective setbacks of -27.8% for earth-moving machinery, -23.4% for telehandlers, -22.8% for concrete machinery, and -18.3% for road-building machinery.

Meanwhile, from July onwards, Italy seems already to have resumed expansion thanks to the end of the lockdown period and the stabilizing effects of the economic policies implemented. The situation is expected to settle in 2021. This is good news for a supply chain worth more than 3.5 billion euros in Italy that in 2019 achieved two-figure growth over the previous year (+16.9%), for total sales of over 19,500 units.

SaMoTer Day also saw the presentation of the “Construction machinery: a strategic component of the circular economy” position paper; here, Unacea summarises a series of environmental proposals concerning the role of machinery in tenders and the input that demolition and recycling equipment can provide as regards reducing construction waste.

SaMoTer 2021 will be an opportunity for manufacturers and companies to capitalize on the recovery: the exhibition hosted at Veronafiere will be held together with the 9th edition of Asphaltica, Siteb  (Italian Road Asphalt Bitumen Association), the event for the bitumen and road infrastructure sector, and – for the first time – LETExpo, the show focusing on transport, logistics and sustainable intermodal services organized by Alis (Sustainable Intermodal Logistics Association).

Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere, said:

“Veronafiere and SaMoTer are playing their part in supporting and promoting the construction and earthmoving world. And it will continue to do the same today, together with companies, partners, and stakeholders, in response to the new challenges posed by Covid-19. We are developing an exhibition in 2021 that will combine maximum safety with the business, innovation, and internationality needs of companies through an integrated format where online events will back up the conventional attended trade fair to create even more new opportunities.”

Mirco Risi, President of Unacea, said:

“The construction machinery sector is experiencing unprecedented events. We have demonstrated immense resilience and dynamism. Today, if the Recovery Plan includes a focus promoting cutting-edge technologies capable of ensuring significant improvements in efficiency, safety, and environmental compatibility, then this would be an investment in the future of the country as a whole.”

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By virtue of the provision issued by the Government on 7 September establishing “green corridors” to allow the arrival in Italy of commercial agents, dealers, and buyers from various countries, FederUnacoma has launched the authorization procedures for the great agricultural machinery exhibition, which will be held from 3 to 7 February 2021 at the Bologna exhibition center.

The lists of businesspeople requesting to participate in the next EIMA International will be submitted by the organizing body for approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (alternatively the same procedure is also available at the Ministry of Health). The authorizations for arrival in Italy will be granted with a simplified procedure if the businesspeople comply with the pre-established health protocol.

This involves submitting a specific form upon entry into the country and certifying the negative outcome of antigen and molecular tests carried out in the previous 72 hours. The procedure unlocks the restrictions on foreign buyers that were introduced due to the Covid emergency. It is part of the restart strategy of the Italian trade exhibition system, launched by the Government with the “Pact for Export”.

This identifies trade exhibitions with a strong international vocation as a decisive tool for resuming production and business activities. Thanks to these “green corridors”, businesspeople from all over Europe, from the American and Asian continent, and from all those countries where transfer restrictions are in force may attend EIMA by waiving those restrictions based on specific trade exhibition events.

At the moment, the benefits of these “corridors” are not applicable only in particular cases, which include countries in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Chile), in the Gulf area (Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman), and in the Balkan area (Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia). In any case – stresses FederUnacoma – businesspeople from these countries will be able to take advantage of the EDP digital platform, which will be in operation from 11 to 15 November 2020. This will allow exhibitors to showcase product ranges and to establish virtual rooms for business contacts directly with businesspeople from all over the world.

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