SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — More than 4,300 people attended the inaugural VICTAM LatAm in the first week of October in São Paulo, Brazil, to learn about grain and animal nutrition.

The three-day event brought together key Brazilian and international players from industry professionals, academics, logistics operators, entrepreneurs, to producers related to these markets in an event that emphasized technological innovation, sustainability, networking and business.

VICTAM events have a long tradition of being the industry meeting point and the propeller of business and technical development in markets such as the Netherlands, Thailand and Turkey. Now the event reached Latin America, more specifically Brazil, with the goal of fomenting the interaction between local industry and international players.

"We were positively surprised by the quantity and quality of visitation. We received more than 4,300 highly qualified professionals from the animal nutrition and grain processing industries from all over Latin America,” said Sebas van den Ende, managing director of VICTAM Corp. “We understand that this expressive visitation is a reflection of the quality of the companies from Brazil and other countries that are exhibiting in the show and of the quality of the technology innovations in equipment for the processing, storage and transportation of grains and animal feed shown here.”

The first edition of VICTAM LatAm also received many international visitors from several neighboring countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Colombia and even Mexico, who came to see equipment never seen in this region.

Another factor that marked the VICTAM Latin American edition was the volume of business generated.

"Our expectations were exceeded in terms of qualified audience, business generation and renovation of the booths for the 2025 edition,” said Cassiano Facchinetti, managing director of Interlink Exhibitions, promoter of VICTAM LatAm. “We received buyers from all over Latin America, who came to check out the machines and equipment, in order to make new purchases.”

According to Facchinetti, the next VICTAM LatAm will take place Sept. 16-18, 2025, at Expo Center Norte, Pavilhão Branco.

More than 150 national and international companies, representing about 250 brands, participated in the exhibition. These key players presented their cutting-edge solutions and technologies.

VICTAM LatAm 2023 also offered to the visitors an extensive program of conferences with seminars, workshops and debates.

VICTAM and Perendale Publishers Ltd. held the Pet Feed and Aquaculture Feed Production Conference. In three days, leading experts in the sector addressed topics such as: the differences in the design of plants for the production of PET and aquatic feed; nutrition, sustainability and Circular Economy; the importance of probiotics in aquaculture; grinding, screening and particle size control in the optimal preparation of feedstock for aquaculture feed and pet food; micro-ingredients; pet food coating; pet food extrusion; food safety; ways to save energy in the feed milling and pelleting process; among others.

In partnership with the global grain community GEAPS, the International Educational Program on Grain Quality, Processes, Storage and Equipment was carried out, covering topics such as technologies aimed at maintaining grain quality in a tropical climate were addressed; the protection of process equipment against dust explosions; combustible dust safety in the grain industry; solutions to problems in silo bridges; ways to maximize the production of bucket elevators; simulation technologies in the handling of dry bulk; among others.

EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) curated the conference program that dealt with business opportunities in the animal protein chains (dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep), in the poultry and fish chains, animal nutrition, and grains (soybean, corn, and sorghum).

The International Feed Technology Conference (IFTC), organized by the University of Wageningen, brought together a team who provided visitors with information on issues related to animal nutrition and feed technology in Western Europe; recent developments in pig and poultry feed; the main challenges for the dairy cattle industry in South America; mycotoxin control and food safety in South America.

The nonprofit International Responsible Soy Association (RTRS), which promotes production growth, trade and use of responsible soy, brought its Annual Conference to the event and discussed topics such as: national legislation in Latin America and how they compare to the new European Union regulation on deforestation-free products; how different countries intend to respond to the EUDR requirements; responsible production of responsible soy;  sustainability and regenerative agriculture; among others.

In the theater on the exhibition floor, the Feed Milling Maximized seminar included three keynote presentations along with eight quick-fire updates on equipment and technologies used in modern-day feed milling.

"We are very pleased with this first edition. We had great adhesion from leading companies in the sector and excellent visitation, a specialized public with decision-making power,” said Sebas van den Ende. “Brazilian and Latin American markets have a great potential for business, which goes beyond the country's borders, and the companies from the countries present at the show, such as the United States, China, the Netherlands, Germany, India, are now convinced that it is strategic to participate in Victam LatAm to be part of this market.”