The 21st Agroexpo International Agriculture and Livestock Fair, one of Turkey's largest and Europe's four major agricultural fairs, opened its doors to visitors with the theme 'Water that Gives Life'. In his opening speech, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay stated that support for producers would be increased, saying, "I promised to raise the support to 1 billion lira for 2026. However, we will increase this figure to 1.5 billion lira in the upcoming period."

The fair opened its doors to visitors in an area of 110,000 square meters. Covering all 15 halls and organized under the theme 'Water that Gives Life', the fair features a total of 520 companies, including 120 foreign ones, with an aim to host 150,000 visitors. Mayor Tugay highlighted Izmir's agricultural roots and fair vision during the ceremony. He stated, "We are conducting a large organization covering all 15 halls in a closed area of 110,000 square meters. Last year, our fair attracted over 120,000 visitors, and this year we aim to host a total of 520 companies, including 120 foreign ones, and at least 150,000 visitors."

Sharing data on the global climate crisis and water issues, Mayor Tugay emphasized that the world is undergoing a necessary transformation. He recalled scientists' warnings that a 1-degree increase in the planet's temperature would lead to a 10% loss in the yield of key agricultural products, continuing his remarks:

"Our city did not receive a single drop of rain for about 5 months during the summer. In the last 60 years, 186 of the 240 lakes in our country have completely dried up. Everyone needs to remember the reality of living in a country where 186 of the 240 lakes have dried up. The remaining lakes are also facing level loss and pollution threats."

Addressing rural development and young farmer issues, Tugay announced that the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has decided to increase the support provided to producers. He stated that they provided 694 million lira in support to producers in 21 months, saying, "I promised to raise this support to 1 billion lira for 2026, and I stand behind this promise. However, we will increase this figure to 1.5 billion lira in the upcoming period because I believe our producers deserve more. We will never leave our farmers and producers alone."

Fatih Tan, Chairman of the Board of Orion Fair Organization Inc., emphasized that this year's theme of the fair, 'Water that Gives Life', was a necessity. He stated that soil is the essence, and water is the source of life, saying, "Without water, seeds, fertilizers, the latest technological tractors, or genetically improved seedlings have no meaning."

Tan pointed out that if the agricultural sector cannot manage water, it cannot manage its future, making the following evaluations:

"We must bury our long-standing wild irrigation habits in history. We can achieve efficiency not by drowning the soil in water but by delivering the water that the plant needs with the most sensitive technology. The technologies featured at the fair range from sensors measuring soil moisture to drip irrigation systems and AI-supported autonomous irrigation robots. Our goal is to ensure that our farmers achieve maximum efficiency without wasting a single drop of water."

The opening ceremony of the fair held in Izmir was attended by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, Izmir Agricultural Chamber President Ibrahim Erdallı, Orion Fair Organization Chairman Fatih Tan, Izmir Chamber of Commerce Assembly President Selami Özpoyraz, mayors, and many sector representatives.