Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurates 2nd mega food park in Uttarakhand

The second edition of Indus Food saw business deals and agreements worth $1 billion negotiated which would materialise in the upcoming months. "We had 800 global buyers from 78 countries who participated in Indus Food. In the first edition, we had participation from 43 countries which generated business worth $650 million, and this year, we managed to secure business transactions worth over $1 billion," said Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) Chairman Mohit Singla. TPCI had organised the two-day Indus Food Supermarket at India Expo at Greater Noida. 

"Indus Food-II saw the participation of 500 exhibitors who displayed products in 14 zones. We had 12,500 business meetings between Indian producers and foreign buyers. Over 10 MoUs were signed during 14 B2B meetings and one multilateral dialogue on Indian tea. We also had three government-to-government meetings with Vietnam, Iraq and UAE and one government-to-business with Bangladesh. Odisha Government was our partner which had organised investor meet," said Singla.

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Supported by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Indus Food is the flagship global trade show to maximise business opportunities for F&B (food and beverage) industry. Indus Food has been developed as the World Supermarket, to enable rest of the world meet their F&B requirements. 

"The most remarkable aspect of Indus Food-II was that it focused on SMEs for export business by bringing buyers to their doorstep and creating business opportunities for producers of value-added and organic products. Doubling of farmers’ income will happen if the business grows. With the Indian Government itself now working towards the identification of most prominent global buyers and creating their interactions with quality Indian suppliers through Indus Food, the benefit will percolate to the farmers. Moreover, the target of $60 billion exports, as envisaged in our Agri-Export Policy is now within reach,” said Singla. 

“Indus Food especially promotes value-added and organic products. India is ranked first in terms of the total number of organic producers with 11 lakh farmers practising organic. With the Government removing all restrictions on the export of organic farm products, the organic food export is sure to contribute in a much bigger way now, in meeting the target of $60 billion food and agriculture exports by 2022, as set by the Agriculture Export Policy 2018,” added Singla. 

Significantly, at the inaugural of Indus Food-II, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had said the Centre had roped in NAFED to ensure food procurement direct from farmers to help them get a better income and save their perishable items.

खाद्य प्रसंस्करण राज्य मंत्री साध्वी निरंजन ज्योति ने कहा कि भारत के खाद्य प्रसंस्करण क्षेत्र ने भारी निवेश को प्रभावित किया है और अमेरिका उद्योग की पहल में एक प्रमुख भूमिका निभा रहा है।

उन्होंने कहा, "वैश्विक मानकों पर खाद्य प्रसंस्करण लाने का भारत का लक्ष्य भारी निवेश लाया है और अमेरिका उद्योग की पहलों में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा रहा है।"

मंत्री ने कहा कि हाल के वर्षों में भारत और अमेरिका ने अपने संबंधों को मजबूत किया है। उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि सरकार 'सबका साथ, सबका विकास' के मिशन की दिशा में अथक रूप से काम कर रही है।

साध्वी ने आगे कहा, "समावेशी विकास की यह भावना न केवल भारतीय किसानों के लिए फायदेमंद है, जिनकी आय सरकार ने 2022 तक दोगुना करने की मांग की है, बल्कि अमेरिका जैसे अंतर्राष्ट्रीय भागीदारों के लिए भी और सभी के लिए आर्थिक समृद्धि पैदा कर सकते हैं।"

यस बैंक के वरिष्ठ प्रेसिडेंट और वैश्विक प्रमुख (खाद्य और कृषि सामरिक सलाहकार और रिसर्च), नितिन पुरी ने कहा, "भारत सरकार खाद्य प्रसंस्करण में अभूतपूर्व बदलाव ला रही है और इस माहौल ने भारत और अमेरिका के बीच सहयोग के लिए कई अवसर पैदा किए हैं। इस सहयोग के लिए मार्ग संपूर्ण मूल्य श्रृंखलाओं में निवेश हो सकता है। इससे फ़ूड वेस्टेज का नुकसान कम हो सकता है, वैश्विक सर्वोत्तम प्रथाओं और सुपीरियर कोल्ड चैन्स जैसी टेक्नोलॉजी भारत को मिल सकती हैं और भारतीय सामान को वैश्विक बाजारों में बेच सकते हैं।"

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State for Food Processing, said that India’s food processing sector has captivated heavy investment and the US is playing a major role in the industry's initiatives.

She said, "India's goal of bringing food processing to global standards has brought about heavy investment, and America is playing a significant role in the industry's initiatives."

The Minister stated that in recent years India and the US have strengthened their relations. She also said that the government is working tirelessly towards the mission of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. 

"This spirit of inclusive growth is not only beneficial for Indian farmers whose income the government has sought to double by 2022, but also for international partners like America, and can create economic prosperity for all," Sadhvi further added. 

Nitin Puri, Yes Bank’s Senior President and Global head (Food and Agri Strategic Advisory and Research), said, "Indian government is catalysing a revolution in food processing, and this environment has created many opportunities for collaboration between India and the US. A recommended pathway for this collaboration can be an investment in entire value chains. These can mitigate food wastage losses, bring global best practices and technologies like superior cold chains to India, and sell Indian goods in global markets."

केंद्रीय खाद्य प्रसंस्करण उद्योग मंत्री, हरसिमरत कौर बादल ने कहा है कि सरकार इस महीने गैर-बैंकिंग वित्तीय कंपनी (एनबीएफसी) की स्थापना के लिए बोलियां आमंत्रित करेगी, जो खाद्य प्रसंस्करण क्षेत्र की क्रेडिट जरूरतों को पूरा करेगी। एनबीएफसी की स्थापना 2,000 करोड़ रुपये के शुरुआती कॉर्पस के साथ की जाएगी।

मंत्री ने कहा, "आरएफपी (प्रस्ताव के लिए अनुरोध) इस महीने बाहर होने की उम्मीद है। एनबीएफसी ईस साल के अंत तक होगा।"

"कई अंतर्राष्ट्रीय फंडों ने इसमें रुचि दिखाई है। हम इस वित्तीय संस्थान के लिए धन जुटाने, बैंकों के एक संघ को एक साथ लाने में सक्षम होंगे, जो न केवल खाद्य प्रसंस्करण क्षेत्र को उधार देगा, बल्कि जोखिम मूल्यांकन, क्षमता निर्माण और खाद्य अपव्यय रोकने के लिए भी काम करेगा।" बादल ने आगे कहा।

जनसंख्या में वृद्धि के साथ बढ़ती खाद्य मांग के चलते बादल ने कहा कि कुछ फंडों का अनुसंधान और विकास के लिए भी उपयोग किया जा सकता है। उन्होंने निजी क्षेत्र के साथ साझेदारी करने और कटाई के बाद होने वाले नुकसान को कम करने के लिए एक समिति की स्थापना पर जोर दिया।

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, has said that the government will invite bids this month for setting up of a non-banking financial company (NBFC), which will cater to credit needs of the food processing sector. The NBFC will be set up with an initial corpus of Rs 2,000 crore.

The Minister said, "The RFP (request for proposal) should be out hopefully this month. The NBFC will be in place by end of the year." 

"Many international funds have shown interest. We will be able to make a consortium of banks to come together to put funds for this financial institution, which will not only lend to food processing sector but will also work towards risk assessment, capacity building and cut food wastage," Badal further added.

In the wake of rising food demand with an increase in the population, Badal stated that some funds may also be utilised for research and development. She also emphasized on the need to partner with the private sector and set up a body to reduce post-harvesting losses. 

Japanese food processing major ISE Foods has planned to set up a processing unit near Siddipet in Telangana soon, the state government said today.

The Telangana government has "handed over all the required allotments and incentives details" to the Chairman of ISE Foods Nobuhiko ISE at a meeting held in Hyderabad today, it said in a release.

A MoU with ISE foods was inked during state Industries Minister KT Rama Rao's visit to Japan in January this year. Rao outlined the focus sectors of the state government.

It said the state government would extend all possible assistance to Japanese investors willing to invest in Telangana.

Chevon Agrotech Private Limited, an integrated frozen food company has received its latest round of funding from Singapore-based investment management firm, Greenfield Advisory with a significant million-dollar investment value. Advisors to this deal were Polymath Advisors Pvt Ltd. Chevon will allocate a portion of the acquired funds to expand its senior management team and develop new products. With plans to enhance its reach to all major markets in India, the company will also utilise the funds to launch marketing campaigns, ramp up distribution and drive its international foray in the Middle East and South-East Asian markets. A major driver behind Chevon’s international expansion is the rising popularity of goat meat as a Super food and the vast global potential this untapped market presents.

Chevon Agrotech is a leader in the goat meat segment with solely-owned livestock farms & processing facilities in the country. Quality, the byword at Chevon, underpins all its operations. The company has two main brands of goat meat products, namely Chevon and KUZO. In the premium segment, Chevon offers two frozen product categories, namely Raw and World Cuisine Heat N Eat, while the KUZO brand offers ready-to-eat products under the Fry N Eat range. Besides these, Chevon offers institutional packs of the Raw and Ready to Cook range of products for the HORECA segment. Chevon processes products to the tune of one ton per day and its most popular products include Raw Boneless, Raw Minced, Turkish Kebabs, Cheeseburger, and Moroccan Sausages.

Goat meat is the latest addition to the list of Superfoods this year and it is all set to shake up diets and cuisines across the world. Goat meat’s status as a Superfood is owed to its being high in protein and iron, while being very low in fat, making it a great source of nutrients for meat eaters. The fat content of goat meat is also 50% lower than other types of red meats and is 40% lower in saturated fat compared to chicken. Studies have also shown that consuming goat meat reduces the risks of coronary diseases, helps prevent cancer, improves cholesterol levels, lowers the risk of obesity, and keeps the body healthy.

Rizwan Thakur, Founder and CEO, Chevon Agrotech said, “We are indeed thrilled at the trust that Greenfield Advisory has placed in our brand, our product and business model. The funding received will help us capitalise on the vast global opportunity in the goat meat segment, and promote our products in India, as well as internationally, as a high-quality source of protein with minimal impact on the environment. Also, goat meat being recognised as a Superfood further validates our brand’s message which has further been bolstered by Greenfield's investment. India and the world need this source of protein to be made more readily available and we’ll be leveraging the capital raised in that direction. Moreover, our products are among the best in the market and we ensure a consistent superlative quality across our entire product range by only following the best and approved practices through all stages from production to packaging.”

Deepak Mishra , CEO Greenfield Advisory said, “As an investment management firm, we actively seek opportunities for early-stage investments into fast-growing sectors for funds we manage. We are pleased to partner with Chevon to help build a sustainable goat meat business which has established health benefits and a widespread preference in India. Further, it offers us a unique opportunity to provide consumers with high-quality, protein-rich meat with the convenience of use in various categories.”