SIMFED participates in Intl Food & Hospitality Expo

GANGTOK, 20 Mar: SIMFED participated in the 29th Edition of the “International Food & Hospitality Fair & Expo AAHAR 2014” held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 10-14 March.

The expo was organized by the International Trade Expo Organization, All India Food Processors Association (AIFPA) in association with APEDA, Government of India with Organic food as this year’s special focus. 

A press release informs that the main objective of SIMFED to participate in the exhibition was to highlight the Organic Mission of Sikkim and to showcase the Organic products of the state. Organic Vegetables, spices and processed agricultural products and flowers from Sikkim were displayed at the fair.

During the exhibition, a national-level seminar on “Organic Food - Indian Standard & Policy” was conducted by APEDA & AIFPA. The seminar was presided by the Secretary, APEDA, Santosh Sarangi and attended by former Director General NIC Dr. M Moni and Advisor APEDA, Dr. PVS Gouri and other organic experts from all over India and abroad, the release mentions.

The Managing Director, SIMFED, Kuber Bhandari  was the keynote speaker and made his presentation on the Sikkim Organic Mission of the State and the availability of agricultural produce both fresh & processed and its marketing. He stressed on the constraints faced by the state and requested for certain policy intervention by the concerned agencies of the Government of India.

The Managing Director, SIMFED explained that, Sikkim being a landlocked state has no railway stations and Airports. As on date APEDA is providing 90% subsidy on train and flight transportations however no subsidy was being provided for road transportations and in Sikkim all materials were transported by road.

Secretary, APEDA, in his deliberations assured of taking up the proposal of inland road subsidy with the Government of India and assured of financial assistance for any projects with regard to processing of agricultural produce taken up by the State, the release informs.