Blumberg Grain visits sites for food security manufacturing plant

Company officials are visiting Punjab and Gujarat as well as several other states to explore propositions for Blumberg Grain's manufacturing and export hub for Asia

Global food security solutions provider Blumberg Grain is exploring to work with India's Union and state governments as well as the private sector in achieving the country's food security goals by significantly upgrading the agricultural supply chain through the creation of state-of-the-art food storage and warehousing facilities, a statement issued by the company said here.

Senior representatives of the company, the statement said, are visiting Punjab and Gujarat as well as several other states to "explore propositions" for Blumberg Grain's manufacturing and export hub for Asia.

Highlighting the importance of India market, Philip Blumberg, chairman of Blumberg Grain said, "India is a key market in our global growth plans. Its large farming industry and the immediate potential to rapidly increase marketable production through our food security systems, in the process boosting farmer income and India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), are outstanding."

Blumberg added, "Our commitment to India is long-term, with an investment programme to include manufacturing of our food security systems, exporting, processing and packaging plants. It's our intention to make a selection this summer of the state we will build our manufacturing plant and export hub for Asia. With that decision and investment, India will be one of Blumberg Grain's home countries."

The company said it is not only evaluating investment to establish manufacturing facilities in country, but also processing and packaging facilities. For India's benefit, the Blumberg Grain hub will export its systems, made in India, throughout Asia.

Estimates suggest that fruits and vegetables worth over Rs 13,000 crore perish every year in India due to inadequate storage and over 20 million tonnes of wheat alone perish in post-harvest losses.

Blumberg Grain's scientific warehousing and food storage solutions, the statement said, can potentially reduce the close to 50 per cent losses to less than 5 per cent, thereby improving food security and benefitting farmers as well as consumers in the country.

"The manufacturing plant will employ 1,000 Indians, have an economic impact of $ 1 billion in the first year of manufacturing alone, and allow for self-sufficiency in food. It will enable farmers to set more attractive pricing for their crops, while reducing food prices and inflation throughout India," said David Blumberg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Africa and the Middle East, Blumberg Grain.

Founded by Philip Blumberg, chairman of Blumberg Partners, Blumberg Grain is a leading global food security company, providing harvest protection systems and technology.