The Hindu Business Line : Wheat meet to focus on topical issues

THE large number of participants representing organisations from Canada, the US, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore will bring an international focus to the seminar on "Emerging trends and opportunities in wheat and products", to be held in New Delhi during March 7-8, the organisers said.

In addition, major Indian trading houses, principal commercial buyers and manufacturers of wheat-based consumer products would bring local perspective, the Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) pointed out in its release adding that the seminar will provide a forum for discussing issues relevant under the present context including global and domestic scenario, export/import trade, futures trading, agricultural finance, as also taxation and pricing.

Key speakers include Mr R.N. Das, Secretary, Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, Ms Radha Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr S.

Sundareshan, Chairman, Forward Markets Commission, Mr A.N.P. Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Dr V. Prakash, Director, Central Food Technological Research Institute.

Wheat is expected to play an increasingly important role in ensuring the country's food and nutrition security. Unstable and stagnant output coupled with low per capita availability on the one hand, and rising consumption demand on the other, provide a challenge to policymakers to create a conducive environment for balancing demand and supply.

The seminar is organised by the WPPS, Society of Indian Bakers, Roller Flour Millers' Federation of India and All India Bread Manufacturers Association.