The Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal has paid a 3-day (February 16-18, 2020) visit to Dubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates) to attend the 25th Gulfood 2020.
Badal inaugurates India Pavilion at 25th GulFood 2020 in Dubai,UAE
Harsimrat Kaur Badal has inaugurated the India Pavilion at 25th Edition of the GulFood 2020.India is the largest participant in Gulfood with almost 300 companies and India’s food exports to UAE stand at almost 1.8 billion dollars.
i.The pavilion spread over an area of ​​more than 4,500 square meters(sqkm) and featured over 300 Indian companies showcasing a wide variety of food products.
At present, UAE is the 3rd largest trading partner of India with bilateral trade amounting $ 59.909 in 2018-19.
ii.The Indian side was represented by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Tea Board India, Coffee Board India, Coconut Board of India and Cashew Export Promotion Council.
iii.Badal met the exhibitors & discussed the potential of business opportunities available to them in India, UAE, and other nations. She also proposed to explore the possibility of making a fund for providing marketing support to launch Indian goods in the UAE supermarkets.
India & UAE expressed satisfaction at existing cooperation in the field of food security
Food Processing Industries Minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal has met her counterpart Minister of State for Food Security in the United Arab Emirates(UAE), Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi &they discussed ways to further enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of food processing.
They also expressed satisfaction at the existing cooperation in the field of food security, with India being one of the largest food exporters to UAE.
Key Points:
i.Food trade between India and United Arab Emirates is about $ 1.4 billion. cereals, edible fruits, and nuts, coffee, tea, spices, vegetables, sugar, meat, fish and milk products are exported from India.
ii.Badal also addressed a business round table, Organized by People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI), at the Indian Consulate about opportunities in the Indian food processing industry. She also met some business organizations in the food processing and retail industry & invited themto participate in the 1st Organic Food exhibition being organized in Delhi on February 21-23, 2020.
iii.She also invited big business groups to invest in food parks wherein Indian Government gives financial support of upto Rs. 50 crore.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Capital– Abu Dhabi
Currency– United Arab Emirates dirham
President– Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Vice President & Prime Minister– Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
