With Odisha, World Food India-2017 set to kick off to transform ‘Food Economy’

Bhubaneswar, November 1: This year World Food India-2017 will have Odisha as the focus state contributing with around 12 stalls of processed foodstuffs like spices, cashew, confectionary items, processed agro-food and seafood. The World Food India-2017- a mega event will be organised on November 3-5, 2017 informed Minister for Small and Medium Enterprise MSME Prafulla Samal in a meeting. 

More than 200 global companies and 41 global CEOs from 30 countries will be participating at the event, Minister Samal said adding, and the event will receive 21 ministerial / business delegations. Over 450 domestic companies and leading R&D institutes along with 95 Indian industry captains are likely to participate in the event. A seminar on “Potential of Food Processing Sector in Odisha, would be organised on November 3 at Vigyan Bhawan, he further informed. Business delegates going from the State will have B2B meetings with investors/entrepreneurs of other States and countries, he informed.

Earlier the Additional Chief Secretary of MSME department LN Gupta said that as a Focus State, Odisha will be setting up its own pavilion with 12 stalls showcasing various processed food items like spices, cashew, confectionery, and agro and seafood. As many as 277 entrepreneurs have registered as business /entrepreneur delegates from Odisha. 

Odisha Sea Food Exporters' Association, along with Directorate of Fisheries, will also showcase the potential in seafood sector. Similarly, the Directorate of Horticulture and APICOL (The Agricultural Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited) along with local industry will showcase the processed agro-food items as well as spices that are produced in Odisha.

It may be mentioned that Japan, Denmark and Germany are partner countries in the World Food India-2017 and Italy, Netherlands are 'Focus Countries'. Besides, business delegations would come from Poland, South Korea, Sri Lanka, UK, France, Netherlands, etc. In the WFI-2017, Utkal Chamber of Commerce, MITS Mega Food Park, Cashew Processors' Association, OMFED, Milk Mantra Dairy Pvt Ltd, Indo-Nissin Food Ltd, Anmol Biscuits, Magma Foods, Jay Bharat Spices, Jagannath Flour Mills, OM Oil and Flour Mills, Paris Bakery, KASAM and many other entrepreneurs from Odisha will participate.