‘Food outsourcing is a $5-billion opportunity for India’

Ahmedabad, India: The food outsourcing business from India has an opportunity of $5 billion as of today, said Mr Piruz Khambatta, Chairman & Managing Director, Rasna Pvt Ltd, at Amaethon — the fifth edition of the Agri-Business Summit of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

But it is still untapped potential, said Mr Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industry. “Only six per cent of the total amount of food produced in the country is processed. This has led to an annual loss of Rs 33,000 crore in the agricultural sector through perishable commodities,” said Mr Kumar. He said this was the single biggest reason why agriculture was becoming unviable for the farmers and they are diversifying to other sectors.

Mr Khambatta said there were several fruit and vegetable varieties in India such as the sweet lime or mosambi, which can be promoted and exported as an exotic fruit, but was not explored.

Fuel only one production cost, say farmers

... and that is in Victoria, Australia...

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is concerned at suggestions that a drop in diesel prices could see supermarkets slashing the shelf price of fruit and vegetables by up to 15pc.

VFF Horticulture Group president Peter Cochrane said Victorian farmers have limited control over the price they receive for their produce, and while ‘industry experts’ have predicted that prices will fall, this cannot be at the farmers’ expense.

"Fuel is only one component of the cost of production. Prices paid to farmers did not increase in line with the increases in fuel prices and there is no reason for farm gate prices to now fall in line with fuel prices," Peter Cochrane said.

While the cost of transport from farm to market may be stabilising, the price of fruit and vegetables is primarily determined by the supply and demand situation of any given product in the market place, not whether or not the price of fuel comes down by a few cents.

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Rochester conference covers all the angles of organic farming

Organic seed production. The environmental impact of gas drilling on area farms and forests. Pioneering organic wheat production to supply bakeries and food retailers across the Northeast. How to keep a family milk cow.

These were some of the workshop topics that drew nearly 1,000 attendees from across the state this weekend to the Riverside Convention Center for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York's 27th Annual Conference, titled Meals Without Wheels: Revitalizing our Local Organic Foodshed.

NOFA-NY is a nonprofit educational organization made up of farmers, consumers and gardeners that promotes organic, regional and sustainable food systems. Its subsidiary company, NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC, is the largest organic certifying agency in the state.

Read more: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090125/NEWS01/901250350/1002/NEWS

Local firm wins state tourism award

Ann Dougherty spends a great deal of time promoting Learn Great Foods, a national touring company that teaches people the link between sustainable farming, great cooking, and the environment. Her efforts have tripled the size of the business since its inception five years ago.

Dougherty is the president of the company, which was recently named the "Outstanding Agritourism Company of the Year" by the Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois.
Learn Great Foods has a center located in Mount Carroll which covers northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and Iowa. There are also locations in Michigan and new centers are about to open in Missouri.

An important part of the Learn Great Foods mission is to educate consumers on where our food comes from and how it is grown.

During its tours, guests get an up-close look at the operations of sustainable and organic farms and have a chance to ask local farmers and vintners questions about anything from growing techniques to ecological issues. Tour destinations include organic beef and dairy farms, fruit and vegetable farms, wineries, creameries and local coffee roasters.

Read More: http://www.journalstandard.com/news/business/x716054654/Local-firm-wins-state-tourism-award