Biggest Dutch Horticulture Trade Mission to explore JVs & technical tie-ups with India
Principal Sponsor: Union Ministry of Agriculture
Partner Country: The Netherlands coming with Innovations in Technologies, Trade Mission to explore Joint Venture Opportunities
India’s growing horticulture sector has currently entered a revolutionary phase. On the one hand, small farmers are taking bigger risks and experimenting with diverse cash crops, and on the other, large corporate houses are taking to horticulture as a profitable business opportunity by bringing in investments and latest technologies. Corporate farming, contract farming and food retail boom having become the present day buzzwords, the entire horticulture landscape is set to witness a big change.
The 3rd International Horti Expo 2011 along with 6th International Flora Expo 2011 is scheduled to be held from 7-9 January, 2011 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This grand 8-in-1 event will be a platform covering— Food Retailing , India Organic, Agri Finance & Insurance, Processing & Packaging , Cold Chain & Logistics, Seed Agrochem & Irrigation and Medi-Herbal products.
The expo, which has as its Principal Sponsor the Ministry of Agriculture and its departments-- National Horticulture Mission, National Horticulture Board and Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States—is supported by Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Health, Department of AYUSH, Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), National Medicinal Plant Board and Indian Flowers and Ornamental Plants Welfare Association.
A big Dutch delegation consisting of technocrats, horticulturists, breeders, flower growers and technology supplier is coming as a trade mission to India to attend this show in Delhi. The delegation will have meetings with Government Officers and Horticulture and Flower Growers, to tap Joint Venture opportunities in India. The activities of the delegation include an International conference, match making programme and technical tie-ups, besides exploring Joint Venture opportunities for Indian and Dutch Horti entrepreneurs, said S Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator.
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”In coming years, our focus and areas of interest in India should be on production of vegetables, fruits, potato and vegetables seeds. Floriculture will be another major thrust area which includes greenhouse, greenhouse management, water efficiency management and other things required to produce high quality flowers,” said Henk van Duijn, Counselor for Agriculture & Food Quality of The Netherlands.
He added, “First, we need to solve the market access problem with Indian Government. Secondly, there will be more investment from Dutch companies to produce in India using Dutch technologies and expertise for Indian market. We also want to integrate Indian horticulture into a global network.”
The theme of the expo is ‘Projecting India’s Farm Power – Combining Food Quality & Safety’. The theme is appropriate at a time when the global horticulture together with food industry is changing, bringing about innovations in productivity and at the same time facing challenges to conform to international standards, said Jafar Naqvi
Naqvi explained that through the schemes of MoFPI, Indian Food Processing Sector is adopting science based standards along with modern hi-tech production techniques and value addition of fruits & vegetables to suit the needs of modern retailing.
Under Ministry of Food Processing Industry, preservation and value addition at farm level is a focus area and it also ensures the supply of quality food products to end consumers. On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture is aiming to double the production of all horticulture crops through NHM, NHB, HMNEHS and disseminating latest and modern practices of production and post harvest care. Thereby, it is also creating opportunities of mass employment for people in rural Indians areas by encouraging them to diversify from traditional crops to high value horticulture crops. All this helps in long term economic development.
On the export front, APEDA is quite active. It is targeting agricultural and processed food exports in the range of Rs. 45,000 crore in coming years.
“To synthesize the efforts of all concerned departments, we are organizing an International Conference / Workshop and Training Programme for progressive flower farmers and agri entrepreneurs. This will be held concurrently with the expo. It will help promote backward and forward linkages that will benefit the farming community”, said S. Jafar Naqvi.
Indian Cold Chain infrastructure is facing problems like lack of an integrated approach and efforts for effective policy formulation and information dissemination. Government investments worth Rs. 18,000 crore to Rs. 20,000 crore (42-46 Million $) are required over the next few years.
Modern Retailing in India is now the world's hottest retail destination where true retail revolution is taking shape in the form of modern food retailing, super market chains, hyper market and cash & carry concepts. All these are creating waves in the Indian corporate sector.
Organized Food & Grocery Retail requires direct sourcing of bulk produce from farmers and this ensures a great opportunity for them. Government of India is promoting modern marketing concepts and creating atmosphere in favour of Indian farmers, circumventing middlemen to increase the income of farmers. More than 5000 new outlets, 100 hypermarkets, 500 department stores and 2000 supermarkets are in pipeline. Over 6000 small and traditional outlets are going through the modernization phase.
For more details, contact: hortiexpo@gmail.com ,or visit: www.hortiexo.com