Organic trade fair begins in City

Inaugurating ‘BioFach India 2011’, an international organic trade fair on Thursday, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the State government’s new policy on organic farming aims to make the State a hub of organic farming in the country.

“To ensure that the State moves towards this goal, I hope that BioFach India 2011 will play an instrumental role,” he said. While politicians and bureaucrats were found deliberating and assessing the extent of organic farming, consumers were spell bound by the various products on display at the Palace Grounds. The BioFach India 2011 has brought a sea of products from across India and abroad, and gives a glimpse of safe and chemical free agro/horticultural produce.

With 170 stalls and products from four European nations, the three-day trade fair saw a massive response on day one. Apart from the four EU countries, 12 states –– Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Sikkim, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttarkhand, Puducherry and Mizoram –– are participating in the fair.

On day one, only Germany opened its stalls with Italy, Switzerland and Netherlands turning in a no-show.

Speaking on the sidelines, Dr Ingo Braune from the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in Germany said his nation was one of the benefactors of India’s organic exports, albeit very marginal. “While Germany imports nearly 40 per cent of organic goods from China, Turkey and other nations, India has only five to six per cent share in our market,” he said.

On enquiring whether the Federal Government of Germany was contemplating on any further growth in trade between the two nations in organic goods, in specific from the State, he remained non-committal.

“Today being the first day, we are yet to look at the exhibitors. We can only comment
after the three-day trade fair is over,” said Dr Braune.