India to showcase its agriculture, food processing prowess at EXPO2020 Dubai

New Delhi, Feb 16: India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight at EXPO2020 Dubai and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, will inaugurate the ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight at the India Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai on February 17, 2022. The fortnight will showcase India’s prowess in sectors like food processing, horticulture, dairy, fisheries, and organic farming and the vast investment opportunities that it offers. As part of the key theme - ‘Millets’, the fortnight will witness the millets food festival, the launch of Millets Book, and various seminars focusing on its health and nutritional benefits. It is noteworthy here that the UN General Assembly has recently adopted the resolution, sponsored by India and supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’. Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest livelihood provider in the country. The sector contributes a significant share of around 21% to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With total exports of agricultural and allied products at US$ 41.25 billion in FY21, India is among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world. To harness the untapped potential of this sector, the Government has allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products and food product e-commerce under the automatic route. An incentive outlay of Rs 10,900 crore (US$ 1,484 million) for the food processing sector has also been approved under the PLI scheme. In addition, the comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy has been introduced to increase India’s agricultural export to US$ 60 billion by 2021-22 and US$ 100 billion in the next few years. The sector is set to witness increased investment in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, with global consumption reaching the pre-pandemic level. The fortnight will also see participation of several senior government officials from India who will be present during the various sessions. The ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight will conclude on March 2.