Germany and Sri Lanka presented themselves in official national pavilions with the support of the respective ministries. The 9 642 visitors from Chile, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Sri Lanka and the USA demonstrated "impressively", according to the organisers, the need for a separate trade event for the green sector in Mexico.
OPF is the first international trade fair for horticultural production in Mexico. The second edition next year is already firmly scheduled. However, it will take place around two months later, namely from 17 to 19 November 2019.
"We can look back on a successful first event. The interest in horticulture in Latin America is impressive. With OPF, we have succeeded in giving the sector another top-class platform. Especially the participation of German exhibitors and visitors was remarkable," says Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. With its proximity to the USA, one of the largest consumer markets for horticultural products, Mexico is an attractive location. In addition, the country with its different climate zones offers ideal production conditions for a large number of plants throughout the year. The free trade agreement between the European Union and Mexico which has been in place for several years also supports trade between the two continents.
The great importance attached to OPF was already demonstrated by the lively political support in advance and, in particular, by the participation in the opening ceremony: In addition to the German Ambassador Peter Tempel, the Dutch Ambassador Margriet Leemhuis and representatives of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture as well as of the Japanese Embassy, Johannes Graf as a representative of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Governor of the Mexican state Morelos Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo also took part.
On the day before the opening of the fair, international exhibitors and visitors were given the opportunity to gain their own impressions of the local companies during a guided tour of the production areas within the state of Morelos, Mexico's largest plant cultivation area.
On all three days, OPF was accompanied by a trade fair program: international florists demonstrated their skills and shared their knowledge in workshops. On the second day of the fair, the current legal situation for plant producers in Mexico and the rights of international licensors were extensively examined as part of the "Breeders Rights Seminar".