insights

Latin America’s largest dedicated event for the animal feed and grain handling & processing industries

With Victam LatAm, Victam also has its Latin American platform, where the focus will be on the opportunities in Brazil and its surrounding countries Argentina, Colombia, Peru etc. As in other parts of the world, Victam will be launched in parallel to Grapas, the event for grain, rice, soy and flour handling & processing and association GEAPS. Together the three events are the place to be for feed and grain handling & processing.

The exhibition is a ‘one-stop’ show where the latest innovations in the field of animal feed and grain and soy handling & processing will be showcased. With the opportunity to connect with (key) players and enjoy the sights and sounds of São Paolo, this event offers top tier networking and conferences with key topics in your industry.

First time in Latin America!

Let’s kick-off with some interesting facts about Latin American compound feed production:

1. Latin America forms 16 percent of the total world compound feed production

2. Two of top global compound feed manufacturing countries (Brazil #3, Mexico #5) are located in Latin America.

3. In 2020, Brazil continued to top the list of countries with the highest levels of certified soy production, at approximately 3.7 million tonnes. Other relevant countries in the sector are Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay in Latin America, with a total of 248,000 hectares and 774,000 tonnes (RTRS, 2021). It is expected that the current soybean production in Brazil, will be increased by 36 percent by 2035 without deforestation and with a notable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Source: Nature Sustainability, 2022). Then the question remains, where do you organise an event in Latin America, is it in Brazil or a Spanish-speaking country?

In 2021, Latin America experienced moderate growth of 0.5 percent, and Brazil remained the leader in feed production for the region and ranked third overall globally (Source: World-Grain, SOSLAND Publishing 2021). The Brazilian animal feed sector saw good results the past years despite limited state support and consequences of the pandemic. Most feed producers are ready for further investments as local farmers are increasing spending on high-quality animal feed. The increased demand creates conditions for market consolidation and growth where innovative manufacturing technologies and product solutions are introduced (Source: Feed Strategy, 2022).

With a population of 230 million people, Brazil’s population is as large as all other countries in South America together. It also stands head and shoulders above the other countries in terms of animal feed companies and grain, corn and soy production, which was the deciding factor for us to organise the event in Brazil.

In short, Latin America is a market with a lot of potential and is currently becoming an increasingly important market for our parties. The Victam Platform could be a great help in entering or expanding in the market. Our main aim is to be an international event for the entire continent, so the purpose is to attract important visitors from surrounding countries such as Argentina, Colombia and Peru. To be able to realise this, São Paulo; the economic capital of Latin America, is the place to be because of the allure and the central location (flying options).

Who is this event particularly interesting for?

Victam focuses on the niche of animal feed industry. With this we specialise on a selective yet diverse group and offer the maximum. For exhibitors, we actually have everything that is necessary within the factories and at farms to produce animal feed, machines, ingredients and all related services. The visitors are mostly producers of animal feed. This applies also for the LatAm event, although the market is organised with a special twist. For example, large farmers and cooperatives are also important visitor groups in Latin America and government agencies play a more important role in the chain than here in Western Europe.

In addition to Victam, we also organize GRAPAS, our title for the flour processing industry, and this industry is especially important in Latin America. This is also the reason why we have partnered with GEAPS and RTRS for instance, because these are associations that have their roots in grain handling and sustainable soy industry. This makes the event broader, deeper and more accessible. The foregoing implies that we cover both niches without losing focus as the two complement one another; the ingredients themselves and the entire procession.

Industry-based conferences and seminars during the LatAm

Wageningen University, together with the Victam Foundation, seizes the opportunity of this event to organize a local edition of the international feed technology conference (IFTC). Speakers from various universities in institutions in South America have already confirmed their presence. Through this conference, we at Victam are once again making the link between knowledge and practice. Our partner RTRS organizes a two-day round table session on sustainable soy and GEAPS organizes various seminars and workshops for grain handling. As for sustainability, this is an actual and crucial subject where the market in Latin America is already a bit further along. Both on the short- and long run, this theme is something that we certainly want further to expand, starting today!

There will be also conferences in partnership with our key media partner Perendale. There will be an extrusion on pet food and aqua feed. Another conference will be about feed mills maximised. For this conference, we will invite speakers from important feed mills in Latin America. These specialists will illustrate the current situation and elaborate on future visions ending with a table session with suppliers in the industry. We have also joined an online milling school, where we want