Agri Horti Food Fest 2013 Proceedings

INAUGURAL SESSION Welcome Address Mr M K Jalan Chairman, Agri Business Committee, ICC Mr. M. K. Jalan said that there is a need to distinguish between the productions of table and processed variety of crops, which will prove beneficial for the industrialists the farmers. !e spo"e on the importance of food processing sector and its lin"age with agriculture as it connects the entire value#chain from farmers to consumers. !e also stressed on proper use of raw materials their supply , and efficient post#harvest infrastructure through $$$ s for effective production of processed food. Special Address Mr P K Majumdar Adviser # Agriculture to !on%ble Chief Minister, &overnment of 'est Bengal Mr. $. K. Ma(umdar focused on the application of advanced technology for increasing farm#level productivity and production of crops in 'est Bengal. !e said that the &overnment of 'est Bengal is stressing more on production of rice which is industry demand oriented and also giving e)tensive support to all the farmers in this regard. !e mentioned that the Minimum *upport $rice for paddy has been increased to I+, -./0 by the state government. !e said that the goal of the concerned departments of the *tate &overnment is to improve the socio#economic conditions of farmers and help them to get better price for their produce. !e concluded by saying that the strategy for development should be farmer#centric and mar"et#led. Application of these strategies is e)pected to lead to multi#pronged growth and development of the sector and the people associated with it, he opined. Keynote Address Mr Subrata Biswas *ecretary, 1epartment of Agriculture, &overnment of 'est Bengal In his "eynote address, Mr. *ubrata Biswas said that there have been paradigm shifts with regard to farm#level incomes and development of allied sectors of agriculture. 2he &o'B is "een to promote value#added agriculture, he said. 2al"ing about the various initiatives that the *tate

&overnment is ta"ing to promote growth of Agriculture, the !on%ble Minister said that the &ovt. had organi3ed the 4Krishi Mela% for the first time, which primarily focused on development and upliftment of economic conditions of the state%s farmers. $roductions of potato and oil seeds have crossed the target in the last fiscal, he commented. !e said that the &o'B is focusing on the creation and operationalisation of 5Krisha" Ba3aar6, an uni7ue mar"eting facility for the farmers in distant villages of the state. Alongside, constructions of cold storage units near 5Krisha" Ba3aar6 have also been done by the concerned departments. !e also mentioned that the &overnment of 'est Bengal is providing subsidies to farmers for farm mechani3ation and the amount is transferred directly to the farmers% ban" account. Theme Address Mr C M Bachhawat $rincipal *ecretary, 1epartment 8ood $rocessing Industries and !orticulture, &overnment of 'est Bengal Mr. Bachhawat also briefly mentioned about the various initiatives that are being ta"en under the +ational !orticulture Mission, +ational initiative for vegetable clusters, Micro irrigation and +ational Mission on 8ood $rocessing, and said these schemes and pro(ects can have significant positive impact upon 'est Bengal%s Agriculture sector. Address by uest o! "onour Mr Subrata Saha !on%ble Minister of 8ood $rocessing Industries and !orticulture, &overnment of 'est Bengal 2he !on%ble Minister said that Agro 8ood $rocessing sector can truly be Bengal%s engine of growth. !e said that with changing tastes and preferences of the urban middle class in India, the demand for processed food has become significantly higher than the table variety of commodities. !e suggested that for proper utili3ation of the mar"et demand, the food processing industry and supporting infrastructure will have to be developed. !e mentioned that a high#end flower processing unit is proposed to be developed near Mallic"ba3aar 8lower &hat. 2he state is planning for production of onion in the off#season, which will help the farmers garner greater revenue, and will also reduce the over#dependence upon imports, he said. 2he state government is focusing on production of guava sabeda in *outh Bengal9 litchi mango in Central Bengal and orange pine#apple in +orth Bengal, the Minister added. !e concluded his remar"s mentioning that the state government is spreading the concept of 4Ideal !orti 8arm%, which includes development of self help groups, horti farming, vermi pro(ects, dairy pro(ects and micro food processing industry.

Address by uest o! "onour Mr Arup #oy !on%ble Minister of Agriculture Mar"eting, &overnment of 'est Bengal

!e opined that promotion and mar"eting activities need to be increased. !e then spo"e about rice production and also suggested better price for farmers to ma"e them financially stronger. !e mentioned about future pro(ects of his department li"e $otato 8la"es, I:8 industry with A$;1A *tate &overnment. !e also spo"e about the opportunity in foreign mar"ets for Aromatic +on Basmati ,ice. Address by uest o! "onour Mr Shantiram Mahato !on%ble Minister of *elf !elp &roup and *elf ;mployment, &overnment of 'est Bengal Addressing the 8est, he said that to increase the purchasing power of farmers, cooperation and support are re7uired from all the related 1epartments of 'est Bengal. !e mentioned that the focus should be on better income generation for farmers by implementation of better pricing system, adoption of new and advanced scientific processes and technologies. Address by uest o! "onour Mr Swapan $ebnath !on%ble Minister of Micro and *mall *cale ;nterprises and 2e)tiles &overnment of 'est Bengal !e said that involvement of M*M; industries will help in providing value addition to the food processing sector. !e stressed on the aspects of proper field production and other resources of food processing which are easily available with small scale entrepreneurs. !e mentioned that food processing will yield better price for agricultural produce and can also generate significant employment in the state. Address by uest o! "onour Janab "aider A%i% Sa!wi !on%ble Minister of Co#operation, &overnment of 'est Bengal !e said that self help groups and co#operatives will have to be involved actively for proper mar"eting of agri products, building necessary storage capacity and ensure time#bound transportation. 2hese will reduce wastages of crops, he opined Address by uest o! "onour Mr Shan&ar Cha&raborty !on%ble Minister of Correctional Administration, &overnment of 'est Bengal !e spo"e on his e)perience of wor"ing with food processing industries horticulture department of 'est Bengal with regard to developing of polyhouse and vermi compost mechanisms. 2hese can enhance productivity significantly, he added. Address by uest o! "onour

Mr Moloy hata& !on%ble Minister of Agriculture, &overnment of 'est Bengal !e focused on distribution of Kissan Credit Cards to farmers, which will help farmers get loans formally from government#recogni3ed ban"ing institutions. 2ill date, an amount of <0 la"h KCC has been delivered by the state government. !e also said Ms. Mamata Baner(ee, !on%ble Chief Minister, &overnment of 'est Bengal has emphasi3ed on provision of grant directly to farmers via che7ues, which will reduce the problems related to middlemen. 2he state government has also started delivering crop insurance to farmers. !e welcomed Indian Chamber of Commerce to underta"e (oint pro(ects and actions which will ultimately help in developing the sector of the state. !e urged for more focus on banana and mango as these have high processing and e)port prospects, and also tal"ed about various opportunities in cattle feed. 'nau(ural Address by Chie! uest $r Amit Mitra !on%ble 8inance Minister , &overnment of 'est Bengal !e said that there is a large potential of growth and development of agriculture and allied industries in the state. 'ith regard to the loan disbursement amount given to the self help groups, he said that in the last fiscal I+, </, 000 crore have been disbursed in 'est Bengal, which is significantly less than the national figure of I+, =/, 000 crore. 2he food mar"et of value added foods in India is valued around I+, >0, 000 crores, as estimated in .0--#-.. In the developed countries, the value is almost >0?, which proves that special emphasis needs to be given for value addition. In terms of contribution of processed food industry, it amounts to appro)imately I+, =0, 000 crore. 'ith a growth rate of around >./?, there is an immense growth potential of the sector, 1r. Mitra said. 2he state has reached a higher growth tra(ectory in terms of e)ports of processed variety of paddy in the last year. 'est Bengal has been awarded by &overnment of India for it%s high production of pulses and some other vegetables, and the impressive growth trends year#on#year, said the Minister. 1r. Mitra said during his deliberations that the present government has succeeded in storing food grains% 7uantity which is @ times as compared to the 7uantity stored by the previous government, and the current 7uantity is appro)imately <,/0,000 tonnes. Alongside, there has been significant employment generation in the last couple of months in the sector by the government, he added. !e suggested that there is an urgent need for e)pansion of technology of production, so that both the table and processed variety of crops can be produced efficiently. !e also suggested that there is a need to have at least one do3en food processing clusters in the state. *imultaneously, he emphasi3ed upon application of inland variety of fisheries. In addition to all these, 1r. Mitra said that the state urgently re7uires food research centers in different districts. !e concluded his remar"s by mentioning that the state has immense potential for growth and development in some critical sectors li"e large modern abattoirs, watermelon unit, high end cashew unit, cheese, guava and others. )ote o! Than&s $r #ajee* Sin(h 1irector &eneral, ICC

!e delivered the Aote of 2han"s and urged the participants to actively participate and get involved in the deliberations of the technical sessions of the Agri !orti 8ood 8est .0-B. 'nau(uration o! +,hibition Ms- Mamata Banerjee, "on.ble Chie! Minister, o*ernment o! West Ben(al inau(urated the e,hibition and *isited each and e*ery stall- "on.ble Chie! Ministers interacted with the representati*es !rom the industry, sel!/help (roups, $#$Cs, o*ernment o!!icials, !armers and encoura(ed them to (o !or new *entures, crop di*ersi!ication, new projects and "on.ble chie! Minister assured them o! all &ind o! support and assistance !rom State o*ernment.s side !or the sustainable betterment o! a(riculture, horticulture, dairy, !ishery and processed !ood sectors#ecommendations0 $roper usage of raw materials their continuous supply

Adoption of advanced technology for increasing farm#level productivity and production of crops 2o adopt farmer#centric and mar"et#led strategy for development in the sector. Cperationalisation of 5Krisha" Ba3aar6 Agro 8ood $rocessing sector to be Bengal%s growth engine

1evelopment of supporting infrastructure for food processing industry for the fulfillment of mar"et demand !igh#end flower processing unit to be developed near Mallic"ba3aar 8lower &hat Better income generation for farmers by implementation of better pricing system, adoption of new and advanced scientific processes and technologies, etc $roper distribution of Kissan Credit Cards to farmers Drgent need for e)pansion of technology of production, so that both the table and processed variety of crops can be produced and distinguished efficiently

Technical Session on A(riculture

S#' Culti*ation in West Ben(al $r Santi #anjan Sar&ar Assistant 1.A EAdminF, Barasat !e mentioned about the avantages of rice cultivation through *,I techni7ue. !e then elaborated about the entire process of *,I cultivation and it%s various features. 1se o! $rum Seeder in #ice culti*ation Mr Madhab Chandra $hara Agronomist , ,,* , Chinsurah !e mentioned about the application process of drum seeders and mentioned that this techni7ue saves seeds by /0?, produces -0 to .0? higher yields, needs less number of man#days and also decreases production cost. !e then showcased the distribution of drum seeders to various district in 'est Bengal. 2ero Tilla(e Technolo(y in #ice 3Ben(ali !ont4 $r Sami& Kumar Ada& Asst. Agronomist , 8C,* , Burdwan !e mentioned about the process of rice cultivation through 3ero tillage technology and stressed on the advantages of the process. Application o! weather !orecast in a(ri5horti Mr An(shujyoti $as C;C, ;)press 'eather !e mentioned that their company is the first weather company to have integrated a multi disciplinary tas"force which can cater to the holistic development of the food processing sector. !e mentioned about the services they offer li"e 8arm level customi3ation, 1isease control and early pest warning, Irrigation management, :uality traceability , $rice insurance info, Cnline tutorial support blog, .<)= connectivity among all sta"eholders, !istorical weather data, Current weather data, = days ahead forecast, ,emote sensing, $lot level mapping Edigiti3edF, 1ata integration, 'eb publishing cloud support, Integrated platform combining weather, &I*, crop science *erver level, smart phone, tablet based integration, Interactive dynamic platform etc. !e then gave brief details about the services offered by them. 2ero tilla(e Technolo(y in Wheat culti*ation $r Sujoy $utta Asst. Agronomist , GA,* , Mobitnagar , Jalpaiguri !e spo"e about how their station in Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar 1istrict is acting as a coordination center for 3ero tillage rice and wheat cultivation. !e mentioned the right time for

cultivation as +ovember and the average temperature should be .0#./0 centigrade. !e also focused on the right time for harvesting and in this condition 3ero tillage cultivation is very necessary due to the soil condition. !e described the various usage details of the 3ero tillage machine to be used for 3ero tillage cultivation with minimum disturbance of the soil for seeding and fertili3ing. 'nte(rated Pest Mana(ement Mr #anjan Kumar $as Asst. 1. A E InformationF , !ooghly !e spo"e on Integrated $est Management and opined that identification of pest as per the cultivation pattern is very necessary. !e mentioned that pesticides are the cause of air, soil, water pollution and human animal diseases. !e stressed upon the usage of organic fertili3ers and also mentioned about *,I cultivation as a tool to control insect attac"s. !e also mentioned seed treatment as a necessary step to avoid pest attac"s and the usage of resistant variety seeds. !e urged for "eeping alive the beneficial insects in the firm and also identify those insects and urge for the usage of bio#pesticides li"e +eem, 2urmeric, &arlic etc.

Biodi*ersity and 6r(anic !armin( Mr Anupam Paul Asst. 1.A E2rainingF , A2C , 8ulia !e spo"e on the advantages of organic farming and said that the low level of understanding among farmers regarding organic farming is a matter of concern at this stage. !e mentioned that organic food helps to avoid diseases and gave e)amples of states li"e Dttara"hand, *i""im, Kerala, Karnata"a, Madhya $radesh, Assam etc which have used organic farming to their advantage, and are now e)porting organic rice to other countries. !e mentioned about the huge wastage of food in the country and also suggested the increased usage of organic fertili3ers and soil treatment through organic processes.

Scope o! increasin( area, production and producti*ity o! Pulses and 6il Seeds in West Ben(al $r Prabir Bhattacharya Asst. Botanist , Kol"ata !e identified nuts, soyabeans and sunflowers as the most potential crops. !e suggested that in high#yield 3ones li"e Ban"ura, $urulia, Burdwan, $aschim Midnapore, Birbhum, we can replace rice with Kharif *oyabean, Kharif &roundnut, Kharif tile etc., and emphasi3ed the need for identifying many such 3ones where yield can be increased with better seeds, technology etc. !e urged farmers to fit in cash crops within the area of cultivation for being self sufficient and to underta"e crop diversification.

#ecommendation0 *,I cultivation techni7ue to be adopted for rice cultivation. Application process of drum seeders is recommended as it saves seeds by /0?, produces -0 to .0? higher yields, needs less number of man#days and also decreases production cost. Identification of pest as per the cultivation pattern is very necessary More of organic fertili3ers to be used during farming It is recommended to focus on high yield crops for better price.

Technical Session on "orticulture Special Address $r- P-K- Pramani& Mission 1irector E*!MF 1irectorate of !orticulture, &overnment of 'est Bengal !e welcomed the farmers and the delegates and delivered the *pecial address with focus on better productivity. !e showcased the various pro(ects done by +ational !orticulture Mission. !e mentioned that the big problem lies with farmers who tend to do everything alone and while not being able to sell the produce they come bac" to government for the support, whereas the same can be solved by famers together ma"ing an organi3ation or groups. !e also detailed on organi3ation and promotion of farmers group, credit supply chain, production and productivity improvement and mar"eting of the produce. !e mentioned about the 8armers $roducers Crgani3ation and said that the main motive of the organi3ation is to help the farmers buy all their needs in a group thus enabling the companies to offer them better price through bul" selling. It is a win#win for both, he added. !e also spo"e about farmers selling their produce directly to the mar"et which would enable them to get a better price. "i/Tech *e(etable culti*ation special emphasis on micro 7 irri(ation and poly house culti*ation Pro! P "a%ra 1ean , 8aculty of !orticulture , BCKA $rof. !a3ra praised the 1epartment of !orticulture, &ovt of 'est Bengal for underta"ing pro# active measures for boosting the sector in recent years. !e focused upon usage of green house technology and drip irrigation. !e mentioned that, though 'est Bengal is the +o.- state in vegetable produce other than potato, the yield is only -0?, which needs to be increased. !e stressed on increasing the yield and 7uality of produce. !e mentioned protected cultivation as an important aspect including off season cultivation. !e urged for the usage of shed net house, net house, plastic tunnel in place of green house, if green house cannot be afforded and mentioned about the optimum usage of water for better cultivation through drip irrigation. !e showcased a

low cost, wooden log built, naturally ventilated nursery polyhouse and also medium cost irrigation controlled nursery polyhouse. Post har*est handlin( and stora(e o! *e(etable crops Mr S K $ey ,epresentative from ,;8CC+ !e tal"ed about the pre#cooling chamber and its usage and the advantages of using pre cooling chamber over cold storages. !e mentioned that pre cooled vegetables get a better price in the mar"et and it also helps to increase the shelf life by -/#.0 days. !e stated that pre cooling chambers re7uire small infrastructure and they also help farmers to store produces at haats. Credit !acilities !or *e(etable (rowers Mr S Padmana*an C&M , +ABA,1 !e focused on crop loan and mentioned that the credit depends on the type of produce the farmers is growing. !e mentioned that farmers who do not have land are also eligible for loan by entering into Joint Hiability &roup. 2he gap between mar"ets and the farmers stops farmers to get the deserved price of their produce, he opined. !e also mentioned the advantages of farmers% club. !e stated unprofessional and inefficient transportation process as one of the reasons for wastages. Address by uest o! "onor Mr Subrata Saha !on%ble Minister of 8ood $rocessing Industries and !orticulture , &overnment of 'est Bengal !e spo"e on the development of the state with focus on food processing. !e stressed on the right way of producing, mar"eting and selling of the produce. !e mentioned about the steps the &overnment for strengthening the mar"eting infrastructure. !e also stressed on crop diversification in each bloc". !e urged the farmers for using vermi compost to minimi3e the cost and also stressed on floriculture and medicinal plants. !e then tal"ed about the processing prospects of litchi, orange, tomato, mango, guava etc. #ecommendation0 8armers to operate through 8armers $roducers Crgani3ation for credit supply chain, production and productivity improvement and mar"eting of the produce 8armers should sell their produce directly to the mar"et which would enable them to get a better price Adoption of green house technology and drip irrigation for enhancement of productivity 2he focus should be on high yield with 7uality produce

*etting up of pre cooled chamber for better price and increased shelf life for the vegetables.

Technical Session on 'ssues and Strate(ies !or Coconut $e*elopment and Coconut based 'ndustries Coconut $e*elopment Board.s schemes !or inte(rated de*elopment o! coconut in +ast and 8orth +astern #e(ion Mr #ajee* P- eor(e 1irector ;ast and +orth ;ast Coconut 1evelopment Board !e stressed on the usage of every part of the coconut with 3ero wastage. !e mentioned that -/ million people are involved with coconut trade and @B countries cultivate coconut. !e mentioned 'est Bengal as a very important player in coconut with production of -.<B0 nuts per hectare. !e mentioned the low labour cost in 'est Bengal as an added advantage for the coconut industry. !e then described the various benefits and schemes of Coconut 1evelopment board. !e also showcased paddy cultivation with coconut including vegetable cultivation. !e mentioned about the new initiative of the Board as Coconut $roduce *ocieties EC$*F, 8arm Community &roups. 6pportunities and Technolo(y a*ailable !or processin( and *alue addition o! coconut Mr Sree&umar Podu*al $rocessing ;ngineer, Coconut 1evelopment Board !e mentioned about the various utilities of Coconut as food crop, oil seed, fibre crop, medicinal crop and beverage crop. !e mentioned the e)port mar"et value as ,s. =</BB..0 la"hs for the year .0--#-.. !e stressed on the value added products li"e tender coconut, pac"aged tender coconut water, minimal processing of tender coconut, snow ball tender coconut, fruit (uice blended coconut water. !e also mentioned about the process of commerciali3ing coconut ice cream by ne)t year. 2he other possible products from coconut as mentioned by him are coconut shell powder, coconut shell charcoal, activated carbon, coconut wood products including coconut based handicrafts. !e detailed on the various technologies available with C1B which can be procured from the Board. !e shared the various per unit cost of the produces including pac"aged coconut, coconut oil, coconut chips etc. Mar&etin( o! coconut and coconut products Mr #-K- $as 1eputy 1irector, Coconut 1evelopment Board !e discussed about the integrated development of coconut industry in 'est Bengal. !e stressed on removing mar"eting hindrances, thrusting on value addition and cultivation. !e mentioned that the land holding is very less for coconut farmers and since the cost is increasing but price value has not increased, so identification of economic way of cultivation is very necessary. !e urged for strategic and potential mar"eting of coconut ensuring fair, reasonable at steady price

for all farmers, including natural and healthy food products also fair price to farmers. !e mentioned about adopting suitable mar"eting strategies, establishing of retail networ", production plan for process products, awareness creation on 7ualities of coconut and coconut products, trade mar"eting, pac"aging, encouraging e#mar"eting through authori3ed trading portals. !e also urged for tie ups with institutional retailing networ"s, li"e mar"eting federation, consumer federation and retail chains. )ote o! Than&s Mr P "ans 1epartment of 8$I ! &overnment of 'est Bengal Mr !ans delivered the vote of than"s. #ecommendation0 More farmers and entrepreneurs to be involved in Coconut Cultivation due to added advantage of 'est Bengal 2o utili3e Coconut as food crop, oil seed, fibre crop, medicinal crop and beverage crop. *tress to be given on removing mar"eting hindrances, thrusting on value addition and cultivation

Technical Session on 9ood Processin( 'ndustries A(ri/horticultural potential and strate(ies !or the promotion o! their processin( in West Ben(al $r S M Aradhya !ead of 8ruit and Aegetable 2echnology, C82,I !e spo"e on the innovative technologies that are available with C82,I other than traditional products li"e (am, (elly etc. and mentioned unutili3ed fruits and vegetable as a source of wealth. !e stressed on food supplements which are specially designed nutritional support food that cure certain illness, improve metabolic process, correct biochemical imbalances and enhance performance in human being. !e mentioned about the demand of 5+eutraceutical6 foods which can be made from fruits and vegetables and it has an demand globally. !e shared that the global spending on prescribed drugs is .-< billion dollar and +eutraceutical is .00 billion dollar, in India +eutraceutical mar"et is e)pected to touch I>0 million dollar by .0./. !e mentioned 'est Bengal as an potential area due to surplus in vegetable production. !e also mentioned on prospects of horticulture produce in the cosmetic industry including anti ageing s"in care solution. !e urged for conversion of rich traditional "nowledge into entrepreneurship. !e mentioned on the various horticulture produces on its applications marigold as a source of colour for pharmaceutical and food industry, medicinal usage of banana (uice, etc. #ole o! pac&a(in( !or !ood products- :ow Cost Pac&a(in( !or micro and small 9P' 1nits

$r Bidhan $as 1eputy 1irector, Indian Institute for $ac"aging, Kol"ata !e clarified the difference between pac"ing ad pac"aging for the understanding of the new entrepreneurs and the farmers. !e mentioned pac"ing as a simple operation related to pac"aging whereas pac"aging is a coordinated system for preparing goods for transporting, distribution, storage and retailing. !e mentioned pac"aging as mar"eting tool or instrument and clarified the three $ functions of pac"aging as $reservation, $rotection and $resentation. !e stressed on fle)ible pac"aging as a low cost process and its wide variety of usage including the symbols of pac"aging and the norms. Success story o! "eralds Mr $ Banerjee Chairman , !eralds !e mentioned about the importance of entrepreneurship and the advantages that India has in entrepreneurship as one of the fastest growing economies with youth population, abundant talent, ade7uate resources etc. *aying that new entrepreneurs must be well#e7uipped to face competition from M+Cs, he urged the entrepreneurs to use the platforms of the Ministry of 8ood $rocessing Industries, &overnment of India and the 8ood $rocessing department of 'est Bengal suitably. 8ational 9ood Processin( Mission and its acti*ities Smt S Mu&herjee Joint 1irector , 1epartment of 8$I ! , &overnment of 'est Bengal *he mentioned about the Jangipur Mega 8ood $ar" and also about the upcoming .nd Mega 8ood $ar" coming up at Jalpaiguri. *he mentioned about the planned Mini 8ood $ar"s which can be built in every district and which can provide a solution to land availability issues in 'est Bengal for entrepreneurs. *he then gave details of various schemes available with 1epartment of 8ood $rocessing Industries !orticulture, &ovt of 'est Bengal and also with the +ational 8ood $rocessing Mission. *he stressed on innovative food products including nutrition and taste, resulting in increasing the food value. Concept on Me(a 9ood Par& Mr Amirul 'slam M1, Jangipur Mega 8ood $ar" !e said that Mega 8ood $ar"s can create huge growth and employment opportunities. !e mentioned about the growing demand for processed foods, but mentioned that the challenges to this sector are supply chain infra gaps, inade7uate lin" between production and processing, low capacity utili3ation, inade7uate focus on 7uality and safety standards, lac" products development and innovation and supply chain institutional gaps etc. !e mentioned about the basics of Mega 8ood $ar"s EM8$sF and tal"ed about low operating and Capital costs of units in M8$s, which can generate more economies of scale for them. 2he advantages of M8$s as mentioned by him are increased reali3ation of farmers, creation high 7uality processing infrastructure, reduction in

wastage, capacity building of producers and processors, and helping in direct and indirect employment. Special Address Mr Asis Kumar hosh *ecretary, 1epartment of 8$I

! , &overnment of 'est Bengal

In his address he greeted the eminent spea"ers and identified the topics to be discussed. Special uest "-+ Jor(e #o%a de 6li*eira Ambassador of $ortugal !e greeted the delegates and mentioned about the olive oil mar"et in $ortugal and his interest in bringing the same to India. !e urged the delegates and entrepreneurs to contact his office for any assistance related to (oint ventures and business e)changes, and identified Kol"ata as a vibrant city full of business opportunities. #ecommendations0 It is recommended to stress on food supplements which are specially designed as nutritional support food 2o adopt pac"aging as a mar"eting tool. It is advised to use fle)ible pac"aging, helping in low cost and wide variety of usage. 2o produce innovative food products consisting of nutrition and taste. $articipation at Mega 8ood $ar"s to reduce operating and capital cost

)aledictory Session Welcome Address Mr Sanjay Budhia $ast $resident , ICC !e said that supply constraints, yield gaps and logistic problems need to be resolved in an urgent basis to capture the potential of the industry. !e suggested increasing micro#financing facilities to self#help groups , tapping universities to develop technology for agricultural sector and summed up saying that a multi#pronged approach is needed for holistic development of the industry. Address by $r- P-K- Pramani& Mission 1irector E*!MF 1irectorate of !orticulture, &overnment of 'est Bengal

!e presented a brief report highlighting the success of the Agri#!orti#8ood 8est .0-B. Special Address Mr Swapan Kumar $atta 1eputy 1irector, ICA, "e said the industry is growing at a rate of appro)imately -0? per annum. 2he total valuation of the industry is e)pected to reach D*J -@< bn by .0-/ from a value of D*J -.-bn in .0-.. 2he net e)port of processed food is e)pected to outreach its present value of D*J <B bn. 2he sector directly employs -B million and B/ million people are indirectly involved. !e called for higher involvement of scientists and policy ma"ers to help increase productivity enabling farmers to earn more. !e called for higher investments and infrastructure development to store perishable goods and reduce their wastage during buffer production. !e called for higher participation from retailers and private sector.

Special Address Mr C M Bachhawat $rincipal *ecretary, 1epartment 8ood $rocessing Industries and !orticulture, &overnment of 'est Bengal "e opined that 'est Bengal accounts for ->#.0? of horticultural produce in the country. 2he state has successfully implemented various enabling policies li"e +!B, +M8$ and +AI and also increased actual utili3ation of funds. Mr. Bacchawat felt that the state has tremendous e)port potential. Ma(or thrust should be given on micro#irrigation, hi#tech agriculture, mango re(uvenation, creation of micro food par"s and capacity building, he said.

Address by Chie! uest Mr Subrata Saha !on%ble Minister of 8ood $rocessing Industries and !orticulture , &overnment of 'est Bengal "e said that identifying the e)act needs of farmers, approaching them wor"ing closely with them is the need of the hour. Agricultural mar"eting needs to be promoted actively to match production in order to attain fruitful results. ,egarding development of food processing industries in the state, he said that multi#pronged strategies are being ta"en by the state government to reduce wastage of produced goods. ;)tensive loss of tomato will be chec"ed by the state government through construction of food processing centers in Coochbihar. In similar ways, food processing units will be constructed for storing and processing perishable items li"e

mango, litchi, pineapple and orange across the state. 8ood par"s are being developed to capture the immense potential of the industry. !e re7uested Indian Chamber of Commerce to invite medium and small scale entrepreneurs to participate in developing the state%s food processing industry. 1uring his deliberations, he said that the government is planning to set up Model !orticulture farms in different districts and bloc"s of the state which will have an integrated structure comprising all the allied sectors of agriculture li"e dairy, horticulture, vermin#compost etc. 2his is targeted to reduce unemployment through activities done by *elf !elp &roups.

)ote o! Than&s $r #ajee* Sin(h 1irector &eneral, ICC "e delivered the formal vote of than"s. ;)hibitors% Awards in &overnment and Corporate category were given during the summit. 1epartment of 8$I ! and the Keventer &roup were awarded first pri3es in government and corporate sector respectively. #ecommendationsK

2o increase micro#financing facilities to self#help groups !igher involvement of scientists and policy ma"ers to help increase productivity enabling farmers to earn more. Ma(or thrust should be given on micro#irrigation, hi#tech agriculture, mango re(uvenation, creation of micro food par"s and capacity building. Agricultural mar"eting needs to be promoted actively to match production

Agri Horti Food Fest 2013 The Road Ahead

Distinguishing table and processed variety : Amongst the two varieties of agricultural produce, the table and the processed variety, the processed variety yields more financial benefit than the table variety. There is a need to distinguish between the productions of table and processed variety of crops. This will prove beneficial to the farmers & and also the industrialists who are involved in the food processing sector.

Focusing on the Application of advanced technology It is suggested that application of advanced technology is a key criterion for increasing farm-level productivity and production of crops. ince the area of production is reducing, the only way to increase productivity is to focus on application of advanced technologies. It is advised that ma!or thrust & investment should be provided on micro-irrigation techni"ues like drip & sprinkler irrigation and application of hi-tech agriculture technologies. #reation of micro food parks would eventually help in capacity building of the sector. Application of far!er centric and !ar"et led strategy $overnment of %est &engal is stressing on investment-conducive techni"ues for rice production. Alongside, it is also providing e'tensive support to the farmers through various means. To ensure speedy development of life style of farmers and assisting them for improving financial condition, it is suggested that the state government should apply farmer centric & market led strategy. This should include providing better price of farm-level products. The tate $overnment should ensure that the farmers should get the minimum support price () *+ in case of buffer production of crops. #rant of subsidy directly to far!ers The farmers often get subsidy for application of different schemes from the tate $overnment. It is suggested that provision of grant should be made directly to farmers via che"ues, which will reduce the problems related to middlemen. $pening of %risha" &a'aar ( )old *torage units It is suggested that state government should focus on creation and operating ,rishak &a-aar, a uni"ue marketing facility for the farmers in distant villages of the state, to assist farmers residing in remote areas. Alongside, the state government should encourage concerned departments to create cold storage units near the ,rishak &a-aar. )onstruction of Flo+er processing unit %est &engal produces flowers which have got significantly high overseas demand. ome variants of flowers are e'ported to other states, which are then processed and e'ported to foreign markets thereby fetching much higher value than the initial point. It is strongly recommended that a high-end flower processing unit in ,olkata and a few others in some districts, which are well-connected to other states. Focus on develop!ent of ,deal Horti Far!s The concept of ideal .orti & Agri /arm, which includes development of self help group, horti farming, vermi pro!ects, dairy pro!ects and micro food processing industry, should be populari-ed by the tate $overnment. Ideal .orti /arms is a form of an in integrated platform which re"uires assistance from different communities and sectors. 0evelopment of Ideal .orti /arms would eventually lead to development of self help groups. This will also lead to growth and development of clusters,

Higher participation of private player and retailers $rowth of the agricultural sector re"uires higher investments for infrastructure development in the sector. Alongside, application of high-end technologies and newer methods call for huge amount of investment. It is advisable that the state government should initiate pro!ects in *** mode while undertaking new initiatives.

It is suggested that proper application of recommendations stated above will lead to development of the sector and the attributes of people associated with it.

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