“Food diplomacy to bridge all barriers”, says Harsimrat Kaur Badal

The Dollar Business Bureau

The Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal addressed a Joint Press Conference with the organizers of ANUGA - an international business platform for Food Industry to be held in Cologne, Germany. She also signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Participation in the ANUGA (Allgemeine Nahrungs Und Genußmittel Ausstellung- translated into English- General Food and Non essential Provisions Exhibition) Exhibition with Katharina C Hamma, Chief Operating Officer, Koelnmesse GmBH (the Organizers of ANUGA).

The Minister said that it was an honour for India to be a co-partner country in such a prestigious international event. “It gives us the opportunity to showcase our strengths and opportunities to an international audience”. The Minister also said that Food Processing Sector has lots of challenges to deal with but due to the transformation happening in this sector in the last 3 years, the industry is ready to overcome the obstacles.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Food Processing are jointly sponsoring the Indian branding at ANUGA 2017.

Badal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the last 3 years,  our Government has started nine Mega Food Parks; is strengthening cold chain infrastructure; implementing Kisan-SAMPADA scheme with an allocation of Rs 6000 crore; creation of corpus of Rs. 2000 crore with NABARD for priority lending to the food processing industries; rationalising taxes; allowing 100% FDI in retail market for food sector, etc.

These steps will help the Government in achieving its vision of making India a Global Food Factory rather than being a market place only. ‘Brand India will be standing parallel with Brand ANUGA in Cologne, Germany’, the Minister said.

Badal said that Germany could be invited to partner in World Food India to be organized by the Government of India. The Minister recognised the importance of India to be showcasing its strength in Food Processing Industries by participating in various International Food Exhibitions like SIAL in France and ANUGA in Germany.

“Food diplomacy will bridge many differences and would transform the lives of farmers” reiterated Badal. Development of Food Processing Industries will help in achieving the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. We need to upgrade our farming techniques and need investment not only in Food Processing but also in farming technologies. We also need to learn from the west how to control wastage at the harvest and transportation level the Minister detailed.

Speaking on the occasion Katharina C Hamma said that she is happy to announce India as a partner country to ANUGA 2017. While ANUGA 2015 had 135 Indian exhibitors, more than 200 Indian companies are expected to participate in ANUGA 2017 from October 7th to October 11th 2017 at Cologne.  The focus of ANUGA 2017, for the first time, would be e-commerce in food industry. Hamma said India’s food industry is known for its efficiency and culinary competence. The world is attracted to Indian cuisines and its diversity. India is home to a diverse variety of spices, a large number of which are exported across the globe. Traditional organic produce of North East India is held in high esteem. She congratulated the Indian Government for taking new path breaking initiatives.

ANUGA is a leading export platform with 7,189 exhibitors from 109 countries with over 85% of exhibitors from abroad participating in it. 1,60,000 decision makers from the retail and out-of-home market from 192 countries visited the previous ANUGA exhibition of whom 66% were foreigners.