More than commercial partners, the Chinese are keeping an eye on technologies produced in Brazil. The Asian country, which spread the “high tech” culture globally, is now focusing on national agricultural machinery and research linked to tropical science, at the same time as it seeks to exchange its expertise in lower-cost mini-parts and implements, capable of helping Brazilian rural producers save money on mechanization.
This is the synthesis of the movement of Chinese visitors who visited Agrishow, which closed last week, in Ribeirão Preto. When walking through the streets of the fair — whose extension exceeds 150 thousand square meters —, Chinese people mingled with the landscape marked by red earth dust, boots, hats and many cell phones working as simultaneous translators.
In the biggest event on the agricultural fair calendar, the Chinese presence draws attention. In the so-called “China Pavilion”, the delegation’s participation jumped 30%, going from 18 to 50 companies with stands there. On the one hand, translators helped with sales; on the other, tables with São Paulo beers, typical Brazilian fruits and business cards in Mandarin. A cultural miscellany that has intensified in the last two years at Agrishow.
The organizer of the China Pavilion, Neeson Cheng, told the report that the Chinese’s first participation in the fair, in 2025, was fundamental to strengthening business in the agricultural machinery segment in Brazil and South America. “This year, we are even in a larger and better located space within Agrishow”, he told CNN Agro.
“Our space has increased. Before, we were further away from the entrance; now, we are in a more central area. This is an advantage for us. We are certainly much more satisfied this year than the previous one”, stated the organizer. According to him, the 2025 edition generated a lot of business over the following year, which had not been concluded during the fair.
The Chinese government’s plan is to increase participation in niche events, such as agricultural fairs. In addition to Agrishow, other meetings should feature a greater presence of Chinese groups on business agendas, such as Expointer, which will take place in Esteio (RS), between August 29th and September 6th this year.
The expansion of Chinese presence in this type of event tends to be strategic and increasingly aggressive — not only with an eye on purchasing commodities, but also on providing artificial intelligence technologies and solutions. Chinese drones, for example, are among the items that most arouse the interest of visitors.
In addition to the China Pavilion, other brands are already established in the Brazilian market. This is the case of DJIwhich maintains a growth strategy in the country based on offering more accessible equipment and strengthening local partnerships, targeting a market that it still considers to be underexplored.
Officially present in Brazil since 2020, the company already has three in its portfolio. Among the equipment available, there are options aimed at different profiles of producers — from a smaller model, with a capacity of 20 liters, aimed at family and small-scale farming, to the largest model, which reaches 100 liters of capacity.
According to the company, operational performance can reach up to 230 hectares per day, depending on conditions of use. “It is very efficient equipment, with new security systems, sensors, cameras and technologies that allow operation even in low light environments”, he highlighted.
Despite the progress, the DJI assesses that the Brazilian market is still in its initial stage. Currently, around 20,000 agricultural drones are in operation in the country, representing an estimated penetration of just 7%.
“It is still a market that is just beginning. There is a lot of room for growth, especially considering the size of Brazilian agriculture”, Levi Li, DJI’s sales director in Brazil, told the report.
The company’s projection is that Brazil could reach up to 170 thousand agricultural drones in the next five to ten years, driven by the demand for greater efficiency and cost reduction in the field, highlighted the director.
Although manufacturing remains concentrated in China, the company claims that it has expanded its operations, especially in the commercial and support structure. “Our production is all in China, as it is cutting-edge technology, but investment in Brazil continues to grow. Every year we increase this contribution,” he said.
The strategy involves expanding the partner network. Currently, the company has around ten importers in the country and more than 400 authorized points, which operate in both sales and technical assistance. Therefore, the focus on agricultural fairs, which increases the participation of Chinese visitors in Brazil.
