U.S. and India Hold Workshop Promoting Wholesale Markets for Fresh Produce

August 20, 2007

NEW DELHI –The Unites States Government and the Government of India’s National Institute of Agricultural Marketing will hold a workshop promoting wholesale markets in New Delhi August 22-23, 2007 under the auspices of the U.S.-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative.

Dr. P. K. Mishra, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation Secretary will give the key address. Other speakers include U.S. government officials and Shri Anuarag Bhatanagar of the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing.

Held at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Delhi, the workshop will bring together diverse stakeholders from the public and private sectors and is aimed at developing wholesale markets for agricultural products, known as terminal markets.

Farmers’ organizations and financers will learn from the U.S. experience and discuss the critical elements necessary to connect domestic producers with food processing industries, retail chains and emerging global markets.

The workshop supports the Government of India’s goal of establishing wholesale markets in every state and is made possible by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

The Agricultural Knowledge Initiative was announced by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh in July 2005 and seeks to revitalize agricultural collaboration between the two countries.