By KUNA
New Delhi : Enthused by the business generated in agri-food last year, over 50 agri and seafood buyers from 12 African countries and 15 buyers from five CIS countries are gathering in India for the Africa-CIS-India Agri and Sea Food Business Meet 2008 from February 19-22.
The Africa-CIS-India Agrifood Business Meet 2008 was aimed at bringing the suppliers and buyers of products and equipments in the related sectors at a common forum to explore mutually beneficial opportunities, an official in the Indian Commerce Ministry told reporters here Thursday.
“The business interests of participating companies from Africa and CIS countries are varied but there is a very strong interest of the participating international buyers in agri machinery especially tractors, agri chemicals, seeds, processing and packaging machinery for sea food and agri food, agri products like tea, coffee, spices, fresh fruits and vegetables, animal feed, dairy, meat poultry and seafood products,” the official added.
The business meet brings together private and public players from Africa, CIS and India on a common platform to explore synergistic strategic partnerships in joint ventures, co-production possibilities, boosting exports of products and services, exploring food nutrition security, fostering institutional tie-ups, technology transfer and human resource development.
“Indias has a lot to share with Africa and CIS in terms of its experiences in deriving self-sufficiency in agri-food sector, in developing low cost technologies, in entrepreneurship development in the agrifood sector to engage increasing number of population into the mainstream,” the official added.
The African companies will be representing Angola, Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Swaziland and Tanzania. The buyers from CIS countries are from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.
The four-day meet is being organised by Indias Commerce Ministry and leading tarde chamber — Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.