The Hindu Business Line : Global wheat meet to focus on output

Bangalore, Jan 16 An international seminar, “Wheat and wheat products – Visions 2020”, will be held here on February 8 and 9 to focus on strategies in production, trade distribution and consumption in a global perspective.

The meet is being organised jointly by the Wheat Products Promotion Society, the Roller Flour Milers’ Federation of India, the Karnataka Roller Flour Mills Association, the All-India Bread Manufacturers and the Society of Indian Bakers.

With the wheat markets having witnessed a price increase of more than 70 per cent in 2007, the low year ending stocks and future scenario of wheat demand and supply, and wheat perspectives have to be viewed in this context.

Change in food habits

An increasing trend in changing food habits following the robust economic growth is resulting in higher disposable income and has also brought to focus the issue of production of quality wheat for food and nutritional security.

The meet will discuss an entire gamut of issues in production, quality and distribution, with a particular focus on India’s increasing influence on international wheat trade, said the Wheat Products Promotion Society.

Separate technical sessions will be addressed by policy makers and experts, who include, Mr T. Nanda Kumar, Secretary Department of Food, Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution, Mr Alok Sinha, Chairman, Food Corporation of India, and other senior officials.

A large number of delegates from Canada, the US, Germany, Singapore and West Asia are also expected to participate in the meet, while farmers groups, major Indian traders in commodities, principal commercial buyers, processors at the primary level and manufacturers of wheat-based consumer products will bring out the trends in inter-relationships between the buyers and sellers.