ATM News Network: Bayer, the multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company, recently hosted the "India Horticulture Future Forum 2023," a national seminar that focused on the future of Indian horticulture and its potential for alleviating nutrition security concerns through the fruits and vegetables segment. The event, which was attended by senior policymakers, regulators, researchers, academicians, and corporate representatives from across the value chain, aimed to address the challenges, opportunities, and advancements of the sector through empowering smallholders for better economic prospects.
The forum featured presentations and panel discussions on effective policies, schemes, implementation models, and programs aimed at boosting the competitiveness and growth of the sector. With a global horticulture market size valued at USD 20.4 billion in 2021 and expected to exceed USD 56.5 billion by 2030, the event aimed to discuss India-centric perspectives on the development opportunities in the sector. The sessions included "AgTech Revolution focusing on Horticulture," "Fruits and Vegetables for Better Health and Nutrition," "Export Opportunity for India in Horticulture," and "Insights into Policy Developments and Key Regulations."
Experts discussed key pillars to create diverse workstreams that addressed the sector's key concerns and opportunities for sustainable growth. Grant Thornton Bharat LLP acted as the Knowledge Partner for this event and will facilitate these task forces along with Bayer.
In a special message read out during the event, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India said, "The country has today graduated from largely targeting food security issues to nutritional security issues. In this setting, horticulture production is the key to addressing both the challenges."
D Narain, President of South Asia and Global Head of Smallholder Farming, said, "India will witness a threefold jump in demand and consumption of horticultural crops within the next decade apart from the opportunities associated with global exports. In this context, the India Horticulture Future Forum is an effort to create a collaborative ecosystem to fully harness the potential of the horticulture segment from a macro lens of nutritional security and national economic growth while at the grassroots level, positively impacting the incomes and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. We are humbled by the positive response we have received from the Government and the stakeholders across the entire value chain to drive a clear actionable agenda to solve some of the key challenges at scale through innovations and interventions to unlock its true potential."
Professor V. Padmanand, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP, said, "Strengthening the horticulture value chain will involve interventions in the production, post-harvest and processing infrastructure, and marketing and logistics space. Team Grant Thornton has been working extensively on these areas with the government, private stakeholders, farmers as well as global development partners. The need of the hour is to upscale best practices and models countrywide through synergized joint action."
India is actively exploring opportunities in the food and beverage industry by prioritizing exports, policy developments, and key regulations. The National Horticulture Mission (NHM), a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2005-06, aims to increase horticulture production and double farmers' income. Despite the sector's significant achievements, it faces several challenges, such as post-harvest losses, insufficient storage infrastructure, price, seasonality, and market volatility.
At the seminar, experts discussed urgent steps required to integrate and revamp the horticulture production and value chain system, promote healthier and more nutritious foods, and improve farmers' income. The attendees also discussed viable solutions to these problems and the untapped potential of Indian horticulture.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ATM staff and is published from a web feed.)