India is a tough market: France

French Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs Nicolas Forissier today described India as a difficult market because of its high tariffs and technical barriers. A lack of operational transparency was another impediment, he said.

Addressing the Indo-French seminar on agri-food processing organised by Ficci,Forissier said technical barriers were a source of "insufficient visibility".

On Indo-French trade ties, Forissier said, "Food processing is a fertile area of cooperation between French and Indian professionals and a genuine convergence of interests between the authorities of the two countries with regard to the defence of geographical indications in the international context needs to happen."

Meanwhile, Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai invited representatives of the French food processing industry to India.

Participate in India's programme for the development of a mega food park based on the Agropole model. "This is of direct relevance to the food processing industries. We expect cooperation from France for setting up food parks based on model," he said.

The Agropole food park help in developing product concepts, testing products, establishing pilot scale facilities and test-marketing final products, all under one roof.

The minister also invited France to collaborate with India in developing suitable varieties of grapes, for wine-making, processing of grapes, marketing of wines and to set up an institute of enology and viticulture.

Sahai emphasised the need for foreign investment in the food processing sector and said India had taken steps in this direction.

He said fiscal initiatives like income tax relief for processing of fruit and vegetables and a further deduction of profits had been taken. The lowering of excise duty on poultry products and dairy machinery have also been taken to strengthen the market.