Agrishow: BB advertising continues, despite threat – 05/02/2023 – Market

After the federal government threatened to cancel Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of Agrishow, an agricultural fair in Ribeirão Preto (313 km from São Paulo), the bank’s advertisements continued to be displayed at the agricultural fair.

The tension stemmed from a conflict involving the organization of the event and Minister Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture).

Main reference in agricultural technology in Latin America, Agrishow (International Fair of Agricultural Technology in Action) faces a crisis with the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) government since the 25th, when Fávaro said he felt “uninvited” after being informed by the president of the fair, Francisco Matturro, that former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) would participate in the opening ceremony.

Three days later, the federal government threatened to cancel Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of the fair.

The crisis made Agrishow announce, on Saturday night (29), that it would no longer hold the traditional opening ceremony, scheduled for last Monday (1st). The event has been held since 1994.

With the cancellation, Bolsonaro participated in an event at the auditorium of the IAC (Agronomic Institute of Campinas), of the Government of São Paulo, commanded by his ally Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans). In it, the former president spoke to ruralists and criticized the Lula government, mainly in relation to the demarcation of indigenous lands.

In the streets of Agrishow, small signs of Banco do Brasil are still on display, as well as a large panel at the entrance to the event, which informs both the bank and the federal government as sponsors of the agricultural fair.

Agrishow, through its advisory, said this Tuesday that it was not sought by the bank or by the federal government to communicate a cancellation of sponsorship.

The bank, however, suspended the participation of its president, Tarciana Medeiros, in a lecture during the fair, and members of the board of directors will also no longer participate in Agrishow.

Questioned this Tuesday (2nd), Banco do Brasil stated, through its advisory, that the position remains the same as on Friday, the day of the announcement by the federal government.

“Banco do Brasil informs that it is present at Agrishow through its commercial activity to carry out business and serve its customers. Banco do Brasil will take the appropriate measures if, during the fair, there is any deviation from the planned business purposes”, said the bank.

BB estimated, before the start of the Agrishow, R$ 1.5 billion in business during the fair.

Agrishow’s forecast for this year is to negotiate more than the R$ 11.243 billion registered in 2022 in sales of agricultural, irrigation and storage machines (R$ 11.77 billion, in inflation-adjusted values). 190 thousand visitors are expected until Friday (5).