AGRICULTURAL CENTRE. The 59th edition of the International Agricultural Show (SIA) is in full swing at the Porte de Versailles in Paris until Sunday, March 5. Program, muse cow, timetables… what you need to know.

[Updated on February 27, 2023 at 12:31 p.m.] Until Sunday March 5, the International Agricultural Show (SIA) offers activities not to be missed such as the meeting of the public with farm animals: pigs, donkeys , oxen, goats… which amaze young and old. One thing is certain, the face of this edition of the SIA 2023, the cow Ovalie, is the center of attention.

For this Agricultural Show, take advantage of family workshops, exceptional competitions, unusual events, but also essential tastings of regional products. To come to the SIA, all you have to do is get a ticket: full price tickets cost 16 euros, compared to 9 euros for children aged 6 to 10 (the visit is free below this age). Discover the program, plan, schedules and activities of the 59th Agricultural Show.

For 9 days, from February 25 to March 5, 2023, some 500,000 visitors and professionals meet in the aisles of the Salon de l’Agriculture for tastings of French specialties and local products and to discover the latest innovations in the service people and technology. Animations, competitions and tastings are distributed within the Salon de l’Agriculture over 134,000 m² through four themes: “breeding and sectors”, “crops and plant sectors”, “products from the Regions of France, Overseas and du Monde” and “agricultural services and professions”.

Visitors to the Paris show will have the opportunity to perfect their knowledge of the world of breeding inside pavilions 1, 2.1, 4 and 6, which bring together nearly 4,000 animals. Many professionals share their knowledge on raising rams, on the way of life of bulls, on feeding sheep, on milking and milk production, etc. In the opinion of many visitors, the election of the Best Cat in the Concours Général Agricole is one of the highlights of the Salon de l’Agriculture.

To be able to go to the Salon de l’Agriculture, you will have to pay a full price ticket of 16 euros, against 9 euros for children from 6 to 12 years old (free below this age).

Exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops are offered to families in order to perfect their knowledge of the world of livestock farming and gastronomy in our regions and to encourage encounters and discoveries around the modernity of French agriculture.

The must is the educational farm where you can find all the farmyard animals: rabbits, chickens and goats await visitors in pavilion 4, entrance by door D. You will also find in the hall 1 of sheep, calves, bulls and pigs through gates L and V. For dog and cat lovers, go to Pavilion 2.1. Those who prefer horses, donkeys and ponies, they are waiting for you at Pavilion 6.

As you have understood, animals have their place of choice in the living room, and they are the subject of competitions. 1,400 breeders, 2,166 animals and 369 breeds take part in the Concours Général Agricole des Animaux. The election of the Best Cat in the Concours Général et Agricole is one of the highlights of the Salon de l’Agriculture. As soon as you enter the Salon de l’Agriculture, don’t miss the unmissable milking parlor and the Show’s muse cow, Neige, a 4-year-old Abondance dairy cow.

Finally, producers from all regions of France, 400 exhibitors in total are gathered in Pavilion 3, offering visitors “France’s largest market for local products”: thousands of essential products to discover, savor or to take with. Restaurants offer a menu of mainly local raw materials. Finally, entertainment is also on the program.

This year 2023, Ovalie, a Salers cow born in Puy-de-Dôme, is the face of the Agricultural Show. The cow with the curly and mahogany coat owes its first name to the passion of its breeders for the oval ball: “With ASM, rugby was obvious” underlines its breeder, Marine, to our colleagues from Point, in reference to the Clermont-Ferrand club. At his side, nearly 4,000 animals (sheep, rabbits, horses, pigs except chickens due to avian flu) will be present. As soon as you enter the Salon de l’Agriculture, you should not miss the star. Find her in Pavilion 1, along with all the other cows, pigs, goats and sheep. Ovalie is 5 years old and comes from Salers, a small village in Cantal.

“Having a muse cow is a reward for the work we have accomplished since our installation. We are aware of the tremendous visibility this represents for our farm. We hope to live up to the mission entrusted to us, to do the promotion of the Salers breed, our territory and French agriculture in general” announced the couple of breeders Marine and Michel Van Simmertier.

The ticket is valid for one day at the Salon de l’Agriculture. The price is 16 euros for a full price entry, 9 euros for children from 6 to 12 years old. Children under 6 accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Here are the prices to know:

The animal locations are as follows: cattle, sheep, goats and pigs in pavilion 1, canines and felines in pavilion 2.1, the educational farm in pavilion 4 and horses and donkeys in pavilion 6. Find all the locations mentioned on the plan of the Salon de l’Agriculture 2023.

The hours of the Salon de l’Agriculture are the same from year to year: the halls of the Porte de Versailles are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Attention for old regulars: the Friday night until 10 p.m. no longer exists!

It is possible to obtain reduced rates, or even invitations via certain trade show partners. The 2023 invitations should soon rain on the web, but you will have to be reactive and/or participate in contests to get them! Example: the Paris-friendly site offers to win 10 invitations by subscribing to their newsletter and participating in a contest.

The Agricultural Show is usually held at the end of winter, the last week of February and the beginning of March. In 2023, the SIA opens its doors to the public on Saturday February 25, 2023 and will close its doors on Sunday March 5, 2023. The show will therefore last two full weeks, 15 days when people will also be expected…

The Salon de l’Agriculture is held every year at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Versailles, to the south of the capital. The full address is: 1 place de la porte de Versailles, 75013 Paris. It is advisable to get there by public transport. Lines 12 (station: Porte de Versailles) and 8 (station Balard) have stops nearby. Same thing for the tram: line T2 (stop: Porte de Versailles) and line T3A (Porte d’Ivry).