Horticulture Supply Chains in India - A Private Sector Perspective

BBL

Chaired by Praful Patel, Vice President, South Asia Region

Horticulture Supply Chains in India

A Private Sector Perspective

Presenter: Mr. S. Sivakumar, Chief Executive, Agribusiness Division, ITC

Date: March 26, 2007

This BBL is part of the seminar series on rural issues in South Asia. The BBL will outline the key issues around horticulture in India. Mr. Sivakumar will address the challenges fostering the development of efficient markets in India and other similar developing countries, especially for high value crops like horticulture. He will discuss the role of the private/corporate sector in this development process, ITC's perception of how agricultural/horticultural supply chains will evolve over the coming years, and its own experiences in horticulture retailing, especially the challenges of efficient sourcing and linkages with small farmers. More broadly, as supermarkets are expanding in India and other countries, Mr. Sivakumar will present his views on how small farmers can participate and the relative roles of the public and private sector in facilitating this process.