Agriculture & Food Expo Harbin 2012, jointly held by Harbin municipal government and German trade fair company Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, will be held from Oct 11 to 14 in the North China city.

Aiming to become Asia's largest fair in the agricultural and food industry within the next three years, the expo this year boasts a 50,000 square meter exhibition space and expects to attract 1,500 to 1,800 companies from China and abroad.

The expo will also include a World Agriculture Development Forum, in which government officials and industry analysts will give speeches and discuss their ideas about business in the industry.

"We intend to use this forum to enhance the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in Harbin," said Jiao Yuanchao , deputy major of Harbin.

Harbin, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, is a major food growing area. The city is an important commercial center for Chinese business and trade with Russia, Japan and other countries.

During the past five years, the city's average annual economic growth exceeded 13 percent, higher than the national level. Its food and agriculture trade totaled at 180 million euros ($225 billion) last year, with imports standing at 156 million euros, according to the municipal government.

"Northeast China is the emerging market in China, which has great opportunities for the early-comers," said Micheal Dreyer, managing director and group vice president in Asia-Pacific region at Koelnmesse.