Pahor stressed the importance of AGRA, also in terms of preserving the awareness about the significance of rural areas, which are home to half of Slovenia's population.

While agriculture may not bring in a lot at state level, it is as key source of preserving and strengthening values, he added.

An address was also delivered by Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan, who noted that family farms give the country the most stability, being operative also during difficult times.

He pointed out that Slovenia had secured substantial EU funding for the 2014-2020 period, which will allow the state to help almost a third of farms.

However there will be much more measuring of the effects in the future and it will be examined what benefits the country has from investments into agriculture, Židan added.

The AGRA fair will present top food and wines, organic produce, the produce of Slovenian farms and modern forestry and wine-making techniques, as well as agriculture and forestry machinery and environmental protection, only to name a few.

The 1,750 exhibitors from 29 countries will present their products and services on 70,000 square metres and the fair will feature more than 150 accompanying events.

The fair will present several novelties, including a beer festival and a professional kitchen with top chefs preparing traditional Slovenian dishes.

Visitors will also be able to see an environmentally-friendly house made of straw bales and a wood-fired bread oven made of an old metal barrel.

Alongside AGRA, Gornja Radgona fairgrounds operator Pomurski sejem will also host INPAK, a biannual fair dedicated to packaging and logistics.