Advantage global investors: Joshi announces mega agro convention

MUMBAI, June 24: After `Advantage Maharashtra’, it’s `Agro-Advantage Maharashtra’ — another attempt by the coalition government to sell the state to global investors. CM Manohar Joshi today announced a mega convention in the city to attract global investment in the agriculture and food processing sectors. `Agro-Advantage: Maharashtra’ will be inaugurated by PM Atal Behari Vajpayee on November 6. Apart from a Global Investors’ Convention at Hotel Oberoi and an international exposition titled `Agro-Food Tech-98, the government has also planned a farmers’ rally at Shivaji Park.

Announcing the mega jamboree, the Chief Minister said the investors’ convention would focus on opportunities in the agro-food sector. Several capital intensive projects have been identified for placing before potential investors. These projects will cover the vital areas of agro-input, post-harvest infrastructure and food processing. Opportunities in biotechnology, floriculture, dairy, poultry, fisheries and meat products will also behighlighted. There will be added emphasis on export-oriented agro-based products and packaging, the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister said `Agro-Advantage’ was a step towards augmenting the productivity of the state which has been generating 22 per cent of its total income from agriculture. The state already had enough infrastructure to be the leader in the agro food sector, and with four agricultural universities, 28 agricultural colleges, the state had the advantage of a skilled work force for the agro-industrial sector, he said. Besides, transport and communication networks were an added advantage, the Chief Minister said.

He pointed out that the state was the leading exporter of fruits. Alphonso export had been 90 per cent of the total mango export from India, horticulture production had almost doubled in the last five years, and was expected to multiply two-fold in the next five years, he added. The much-hyped `Advantage Maharashtra’ convention held last year was touted as a grand success bythe government. But critics say actual advantage to the state was lesser than projected.