MORE than 1,500 types of food products will be on offer at the Shanghai New Year Agricultural Products Exhibition that runs from Friday to Monday at the Shanghai Agricultural Exhibition Hall in Changning District, its organizers said yesterday.

　　About 300 companies from 18 Chinese provinces and regions will be represented at the show, the company said.

　　Many of the products on offer are associated with the Spring Festival, so people will be able to stock up before the annual holiday, which this year falls on February 8.

　　Last year’s fair had to be canceled for “safety reasons,” the Changning agricultural commission said.

　　To ensure there are no tragedies at this year’s fun-filled event, visitor numbers will be limited to 4,000 per day, while 50 police officers and an unspecified number of security guards will patrol the venue at all times.

　　Also, the number of stalls will be reduced to 309 — from 340 in 2014 — to provide more room for visitors to browse, while the floors of the exhibition hall will be covered with flameproof carpeting to help prevent any deadly blazes.

　　Some of the companies exhibiting at the show operate online, said Zhang Jianting, an agricultural official.

　　“Buying products online is quicker and more convenient, but at the fair people can see, touch and even taste before they buy, so it’s the best of both worlds,” he said.