Horticulture, food processing have high scope for Indo-Bangla cross-border cooperation: Envoy

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said that horticulture and food processing are the areas where there are “great scopes” for cross-border cooperation between the neighbouring countries.

“Our Northeastern states have immense potential to supply horticultural products such as Banana, Pineapple, Orange, Litchi, Apple, Passion Fruit, Cashew Nut, Ginger, Tea, Flowers, etc. both for direct consumption and for the food processing industry in Bangladesh,” he said.

“Bangladesh companies can also access the Northeastern markets by exporting finished products and by exploring opportunities for investment there”.

The high commissioner was speaking at the ‘North East India – Bangladesh EXIM Conclave’ in Dhaka on Wednesday.

North East Foundation, India in association with Bangladesh Organic Products Manufacturers’ Association, Allied Food Industries, Dhaka and Sindhiya Enterprise, Dhaka organised the event with an aim to explore opportunities for cooperation between North East India and Bangladesh in the horticulture sector and showcase the tourism potential of the Northeastern States of India.

Member of Parliament Abdur Razzak, who was present as the chief guest, spoke of creating “marketing opportunities” for farmers and producers of agricultural and horticultural products in the two countries. He said fruits and vegetables could be traded during the lean periods in the country.

He also reminisced about his time in Meghalaya where he was trained during the Liberation war and said he used to enjoy canned pineapple during his stay there.

Historically, Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian states have been part of a sub-regional economy.

The High Commissioner said they were trying “to re-energize this sub-regional economy by opening the borders to trade and improving sub-regional connectivity and trade infrastructure”.

“There is great potential for creating cross-border value chains in different sectors,” he said, adding that “already we have a great example of this on the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border where Lafarge Surma Cement imports limestone from Meghalaya using a cross-border conveyor belt for its cement plant close to the border in Bangladesh”.

“Products of Pran Group from Bangladesh, which has also invested in Tripura, are already doing very well in our Northeastern states”.

He said tourism in the northeast is another area which holds “great potential”.

“The eight states in the Northeast offer a wide variety of landscapes and wildlife, and also great cultural diversity”.

He hoped that the interactions during the conclave would generate “new opportunities” for the business community in the both the countries.

More than 60 traders of horticultural items and representatives of the tourism industry from Bangladesh are participating in this event to see what is being offered by the Northeastern states.