The esplanade of the Albacete Fairgrounds hosted the presentation of the XLI edition of the Agricultural and Livestock Fair of Castilla-La Mancha, Expovicaman, which will last for four days and will feature 206 exhibitors, compared to the 183 in 2024.
The presentation was attended by the mayor of Albacete, Manuel Serrano; the president of the Provincial Council, Santiago Cabañero; the provincial delegate of the Junta, Pedro Antonio Ruiz Santos; the president of the IFAB Executive Committee and representative of the Horse Show, Juan Martínez Moraga; the president of Acofama, Llanos Plaza; the executive secretary of Agrama, Roberto Gallego; the president of the D.O Queso Manchego, Antonio Martínez, and the councilor of Marca Albacete, Rosa González de la Aleja, as reported by the City Council in a press release.
In addition to the increase in the number of exhibitors, it was highlighted that the number of participating cheese dairies in the International Cheese Fair of Albacete, Fiqab, has doubled.
Likewise, wine tastings from Albacete have been scheduled, with a significant presence of origin denominations in products such as cheese, Manchego lamb, saffron, nuts, oil, or honey, featuring the presence of ovine, caprine, and horse livestock, thanks to the collaboration and involvement of Agrama and Asocaman-Pre. For the first time in our city, the Para-Equestrian League will take place to introduce people with disabilities to the world of horses.
Another novelty is the inclusion of the LIII Asprona Bullfight in the program, which will take place on May 10, bringing that beloved and characteristic bullfighting atmosphere to our fairs and festivals.
Manuel Serrano has encouraged everyone to visit the Fairgrounds and the Fairgrounds from May 7 to 11 to enjoy the great attractions offered by Expovicaman, confident that it will once again be a successful event, expecting to surpass the nearly 100,000 visitors who enjoyed the different activities last year.
In Manuel Serrano’s opinion, «Expovicaman is one of the greatest achievements in our recent history as a city and also reconciles us with ourselves, as it refers to our history and roots,» ensuring that «investing in the primary sector, in agriculture and livestock, is always a safe bet.»
The mayor emphasized that «farming is in our DNA and that’s why it’s good to plant the seed of Albacete’s agri-food sector in the new generations.» For this reason, the XLI edition of Expovicaman includes children’s activities such as a pedal tractor contest, a wool workshop, the ‘Make your own cheese’ workshop, the ‘Journey through time’ exhibition, and children’s play areas ‘Little Farmers’.
On the other hand, the president of the Provincial Council stated that «today, possibly the best agricultural fair is presented,» and explained that «the Albacete Provincial Council will do what it has always done, be by the side of the agricultural sector, along with the City Council and the Junta, both in organization and sponsorship,» pointing out that they are also with those who make it possible, referring to all sectors, entities, and groups that make up this event.
In this regard, Santi Cabañero stated that «if we want vibrant villages, we need the people who work in the fields to have a future, and that is done by generating opportunities, providing improvements through knowledge (as we do through the ITAP) and with administrative support.»
He also emphasized that, in contrast to the bucolic or biased view of the reality of the countryside, «this fair, in addition to being a meeting point, a business, and knowledge exchange, should be a tribute to the men and women who bring our countryside to life and keep our villages and this province alive.»