Horti Food Festival 2025

Horti Food Festival 20th February - 22nd February, 2025 by BCC&I at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata

Horti Food Festival 20th February - 22nd February, 2025 by BCC&I at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata.

The Horti Food Festival 2025, organized by the Department of Food Processing Industries and Horticulture, Government of West Bengal, in collaboration with The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlights the rich diversity of West Bengal's horticultural and processed food offerings.

The festival was officially inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shri Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal, in the distinguished presence of several esteemed leaders. These included Shri Malay Ghatak, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Judicial, Labour, and Law Departments; Shri Pradip Kr. Mazumdar, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Panchayat & Rural Development and Corporation Departments; Shri Swapan Debnath, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Animal Resource Development Department; Shri Biplab Mitra, Hon'ble Minister- in-Charge, Consumer Affairs Department; Md. Gulam Rabbani, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Non- Conventional and Renewable Energy Source Department; Shri Arup Roy, Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Department of Food Processing Industries and Horticulture; Shri Biplab Roychowdhury, Hon'ble Minister of State (I/C), Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, and Fishing Harbour Department; and Shri Becharam Manna, Hon'ble Minister of State (I/C), Agriculture Marketing Department, Government of West Bengal.

The panel discussion on "Food Processing Sector: Opportunities in West Bengal and the Way Forward," held on the second day of the festival, 21st February 2025, was graced by distinguished experts, including Dr. Prasanta Kumar Biswas, Professor, Department of Food Technology, Jadavpur University; Mr. Samarajit Mitra, Owner, SMA Consulting; Ms. Kaveri Rit, Food Processing Development Officer, Government of West Bengal; Mr. Subhajit Thakurta, General Manager, Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd; and Dr. Daisy Saha, Farm Sector Technical Officer, State Bank of India.

Another insightful panel discussion, "Eat Well and Smile Big," also took place on the second day of the festival, focusing on best practices in the food processing sector. This session featured esteemed panelists such as Dr. Brati Acharya, ADH- Chinsurah, Hooghly, Government of West Bengal; Prof. Ivi Chakraborty, Professor, Post-Harvest Technology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya; Smt. Sujata Ghosh, IAS, Senior Special Secretary, Self-Help Group & Self Employment Department and Managing Director, West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Ltd; Dr. Aparajita Majumdar, Food Safety Officer, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal; Mr. Anish Saha, Food Safety Officer, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal; Dr. Rahul Chakraborty, District Horticulture Officer- Howrah, Government of West Bengal; and Mr. Sanjay Kumar Ghanti, Director, Bangabhumi Farmers Producer Company Limited.

Few Success Stories:

The festival also celebrated and recognized inspiring success stories from the Horticulture and Food Processing sectors of the state. Some of the notable highlights include:

■  Gopal Ghosh, the founder of an MSME Sweet Production Company from Howrah, shared his journey of establishing a factory with the support of the PMFME Scheme.
■  Smt. Priyanka Bajpayee from Uttar 24 Parganas spoke about her experience in setting up a Packaged Chow Mein manufacturing unit, highlighting the significant assistance she received from government schemes.
■  Seikh Wasim Dargai, another MSME beneficiary from Hooghly District, shared his success story of setting up a spice processing factory, made possible through the PMFME scheme.
■  Ms. Mita Jitlangiya, proprietor of an MSME company, discussed her successful venture in establishing a food processing and delivery unit in Bengal, enabled by the PMFME scheme and the steadfast support of the government.

Market Linkages:

The festival featured Buyer-Seller B2B sessions aimed at connecting local producers with global markets.

Expected Outcomes:
●  Attract investments worth INR 1,000 crore.
●  Reduce post-harvest losses by 5-10% through the adoption of advanced technologies.
●  Build on the success of the 2020 festival, which secured INR 500 crore in Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).