The preliminary results of the survey of visitors to VIV Russia 2011 reveal extreme satisfaction about the event, which was expressed in the high average score of 8 given to the fair by visitors. This is a 0.9 per cent increase compared with the previous edition in 2009. The Russian visitors ranked the fair with 8.1, and awarded the international section a 7.4. VNU Exhibitions Europe and ASTI Group organised this biennial event for animal production and meat processing for the fifth time. The fair was held from 17 to 19 May in hall 7 and 8 of the International Crocus Exhibition Center in Moscow.

VIV Russia attracted a total of 6,441 visitors, with 21.2 per cent coming from abroad. A notable positive conclusion that can be drawn from latest figures is the substantial proportion of visitors from countries surrounding Russia, particularly from Iran (2.7 per cent), Belarus (2.1 per cent), Ukraine (1.7 per cent) and Kazakhstan (0.8 per cent). The visitors indicated their strong intention to visit the next edition of the exhibition. 82 per cent stated they will be present in two years time, which is encouraging news for VIV Russia 2013 which is scheduled for 28 until 30 May inclusive.

Optimise range

No less than 41 per cent of all the visitors judged the range on offer at VIV Russia to be complete and 47 per cent as partially complete. Most attention was given to:

• compound feed processing
• feed ingredients, additives, raw materials
• animal health
• compound feed
• animal breeding, and
• meat/eggs/dairy/fish processing, packaging & handling.

According to the majority of the visitors, the range can be optimised further, including in the compound feed processing & grain processing equipment/supplies sectors, however the total range was rated higher than in 2009.

Professional position

The question regarding which group of livestock visitors were interested in resulted in a strikingly large response of 15 per cent for cattle/calves (meat) and dairy cows. As could be expected, most visitors (41 per cent) were interested in poultry (broilers), followed by pigs (25 per cent) and poultry (layers) (17 per cent). Visitors were active in feed mills, poultry farms, pig farms, cattle/calf farms (meat), dairy farms, meat slaughtering companies or meat processing companies, large-scale integrations or as veterinarians.

Feedtech-Croptech

For the first time, the Feedtech-Croptech pavilion was presented at VIV Russia, focusing on the primary processing phases of crops. The concept fully covers the production of feed, premixes, pet food, flour, vegetable oil, raw material feedstuffs and (ingredient) foodstuffs, biomass and biofuel products.

Around 30 per cent of the VIV Russia visitors were interested in Feedtech-Croptech equipment. Of this group, 24 per cent were purely interested in large-scale equipment and the vast majority of 74 per cent had interest for both large-scale and small-scale equipment. Thanks to the interest levels shown by a large number of visitors to VIV Russia, this section will clearly form part of the total range of goods and services on display at VIV Russia 2013.

Satisfied

Most of the exhibitors were also satisfied with VIV Russia 2011 and rated the event with a 6.7, a marginally lower score than two years ago (6.9). The international exhibitors rated the show with a 6.2, Russian exhibitors with a 7.1 – a more positive evaluation.

Despite the on average slightly lower score, some 87 per cent of the exhibitors indicated their intention to exhibit again at the next edition. This is partly due to the satisfaction of 60 per cent of all the exhibitors about the visitor target group at the event. The cattle/dairy farm sector did however indicate that certain improvements are desirable. In addition, 58 per cent of the exhibitors assessed the quality of visitors as 'excellent' or 'good'.

High added-value

During VIV Russia, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation of the Netherlands organised an agricultural seminar entitled 'Russian-Dutch Agribusiness Forum on Dairy and Poultry' in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.

During the first two days of VIV Russia 2011, visitors were invited to attend the Meat & Poultry Conference. This seminar programme was of high added value for more than 11 per cent of the visitors, according to the latest results of VIV Russia 2011.