| When IFE Poland opens its doors on Wednesday, May 17, at Expo XXI in Warsaw , it'll be a special day for India . The Indian Wine Academy , together with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), will showcase the progress made by the country's processed foods and wine industry at a conference that will be chaired by APEDA Chairman K. S. Money. APEDA is participating in IFE Poland for the first time.
This will be the first India-focused conference to be organised at this premier food, drink and hospitality trade exhibition for Central and Eastern Europe . Other speakers at the conference will be Sanjiva Rishi, Vice-President (Brand and Market Development), Satnam Overseas, Harpal Singh, Deputy General Manager, APEDA, and Sourish Bhattacharyya, Executive Director, Indian Wine Academy.
APEDA's focus will be on mangoes, honey and readymade snacks. Speaking from the point of view of India's leading exporter of basmati rice, frozen cut vegetables, snacks and ready-to-eat meals, Rishi will present an overview of the steady progress made by Indian companies in the heat-and-eat meal business. Bhattacharyya will speak on the future of the Indian wine industry, which is poised for steady growth, fuelled by the growth of the domestic market, proactive state policies and a steady infusion of international venture capital funding.
For Indian food exporters, this is the time to put their foot in the door. Poland is emerging as a significant market for the world, with the presence of large retailers growing to 50%, up from 5% in 1996. Poland has eight hypermarkets per million people, which are miles ahead of organised retail in India .
More than 400 global suppliers from 24 countries have chosen to exhibit at this year's show, which is supported by 15 international trade associations, including the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, CMA (Germany), CRCI and Sopexa (France), SUSTA, the voice of the food industry of the American South, Mexican Trade Commission, and the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture.
Other attractions at IFE Poland include Marek Konradt, the award-winning Polish actor and wine boutique owner, who will step into his wine importer and distributor role, and launch his new range of Australian wines at the show.
The leading Polish wine publication, Swiat Vin , will host a blind wine tasting event in the Wine Tasting Zone involving that country's sommeliers and enologists. Tasting up to 20 different wines, organisers and the judging panel will critically evaluate each wine and give direct feedback on their quality. The internationally renowned research company, Euromonitor, will make two important presentations on the Polish food and wine industries, which, as with all Euromonitor studies, will be closely watched by the international media present at the show.
IFE Poland is an event of Montgomery International, London, which also organises the annual IFE India, and Expomedia Events, Warsaw. The show has emerged over the last four years as a major destination of the export industries of neighbouring countries.
Comments CMA's Burkhard Endemann: "For the German export industry, Poland is one of the most important countries since it became a member of the European Union in May 2004. The central location of the fair, moreover, attracts not just Polish experts, but also importers from the Baltic States, the Kaliningrad region and the Ukraine as well, all of whom visit the fair to get an overview of the newest trends in the international food industry." |
