In an effort to increase growers’ profits by removing middlemen from the supply chain, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi on Monday urged hotels and restaurants to purchase fruit straight from farmer-producer organizations (FPOs). In order to improve the eating experience for tourists and visitors, the secretary also urged the hospitality sector to support food items with Geographical Indication (GI) tags.
“There are many hotels and eateries all around the nation. At an event hosted by the Agriculture Ministry and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India.” Chaturvedi stated, “And it will be a win-win situation if you are able to develop a partnership with the local farming community to get authentic food, vegetables, spices, and other things.”
According to the secretary, there are roughly 35,000 FPOs in India, 10,000 of which were created through government initiatives. The government intends to introduce an online portal that will allow FPOs to register their excess product for direct purchase by companies, lodging facilities, and dining establishments.
In any event, the hotel and restaurant chains are purchasing food grains, fruits, vegetables, and spices from local mandis or from certain retail chains. We are asking them to begin purchasing directly from the FPOs that are located in the vicinity of that specific unit,” Chaturvedi stated. According to Chaturvedi, agriculture employs 46% of the workforce and accounts for 18% of India’s GDP, underscoring the economic gap between the farm and non-farm sectors.
He noted that the farm industry faced two main obstacles: a large discrepancy between farmgate and retail prices and dispersed landholdings that restrict scalability and bargaining leverage. The secretary stated that direct collaborations with farming communities could aid in closing this price disparity.
According to Chaturvedi, there is a growing market for organic and pesticide-free food. He pointed out that farmer groups that grow natural or organic produce could collaborate with lodging establishments to purchase certified organic goods. Regarding GI-tagged goods, he stated that India has a wide range of registered food items in addition to Basmati rice, such as processed foods, vegetables, fruits, and grains.
Additionally, I would ask that you advertise those GI items in your cuisines around the nation. He said, “I’m sure a lot of tourists will appreciate to see that this is a GI heritage of our country. The tourism ministry’s assistant secretary, Suman Billa, stated that direct sourcing will help both industries.
The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India announced that it will establish a cell to enable direct communication with the organizations and produce a booklet listing FPOs along with their products and contact information. Attendees included Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Market Managing Director Rahool Macrius, Sarovar Hotels Managing Director Ajay Bakaya, and Lemon Tree Hotels President Vishvapreet Singh Cheema.
