Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between trade bodies and business enterprises in Tamil Nadu and delegates representing business bodies and government agencies of 10 countries were signed as part of the ongoing four-day global expo and summit, ‘Vibrant Tamil Nadu - Food Edition 2018,’ here on Monday.
According to the organisers, the countries with which the MoUs were signed were the US, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Nepal, Vietnam, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. S. Rethinavelu, Creative Head, Vibrant Tamil Nadu, and Senior president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the MoUs would pave way for dissemination of information for building bilateral trade and joint ventures. “It will also promote visits of business delegations between the countries,” he added.
Speaking at the function, Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar lauded the organisers for pulling of a grand expo with visits of hundreds of delegates from foreign countries. He expressed satisfaction that the organisers had chosen Madurai as the venue for the expo, which showcases the potential of food sector in Tamil Nadu, instead of Chennai or Coimbatore that are already renowned for their industrial development.
On the appeal made by the Chamber to the government for the construction of a trade centre in Madurai on the lines of such facilities available in Chennai or Coimbatore, he said the government would consider the demand. “The Chamber has said that it already has 20 acre of land available in a prime location along a four-lane highway for the facility,” he added.
Stating that the Tamil Nadu government was focussed on developing agriculture and food processing sector, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao appreciated the organisers for chosing the right theme for the conference. He added that there was a huge potential for growth in food sector, particularly in Madurai.
V. Neethi Mohan, Chairman, Young Entrepreneur School, and Mentor (Technical) of Vibrant Tamil Nadu, said the expo was rightly focussing on food sector since food production was going to be a huge challenge by 2050 since the population would rise to 9.6 billion while water and other resources required for production will become scarce.
