Indo-Canadian Business Chamber would soon be releasing a white paper report mapping the business opportunities between India and Canada
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar said recently in his inaugural address at the two-day India-Canada Agri-Tech Virtual Seminar organized by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Ministry of External Affairs of India that in the last six months of the global pandemic crisis, the country had taken moves to usher in progressive reforms in the agricultural sector. These included policy reforms for the establishment of One Nation-One market, contract farming along with appropriate measures for the safety and freedom of farmers.
Tomar said that India was the fifth largest importer of Canadian vegetables and raw agricultural materials and the seventh largest importer of leguminous vegetables, called “Vegetarian Protein”. He said that there was great potential for growth in the Indo-Canadian agri-business. India was an excellent place for the production of healthy food including nutritious grains, organics, herbals, etc., which have been the foundation of Ayurveda’s rich traditions and methods of yoga treatment.
At the event, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food of the Government of Canada, Mary-Claude Bibeau highlighted that Canada and India had a proud history of strong bilateral trade and collaboration in agriculture, with a vibrant trading relationship in agriculture and agri-food, valued at over $1.5 billion. She went on to point that in India, rapid economic growth was driving new consumer demands and preferences, and Canada could
help India meet those demands through scientific and technological expertise in food processing, food safety and transportation infrastructure.
Bibeau concluded by reiterating that as we look to the future, expanding and diversifying mutual trade and investment opportunities between Canada and India will also help both economies recover after the pandemic.
CEO of ICBC, Nadira Hamid said that ICBC would soon be releasing a white paper report mapping the business opportunities between India and Canada in Agriculture and Agri-tech. Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Dr. Alka Bhargava, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs P Harish, CII National Council Member Salil Singhal and other dignitaries were part of the programme.
