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HollandDoor Newsletter
January 2018 / India special
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In our newsletter of December last year, we announced that we keep expanding our activities in India and promised you an India special. With this newsletter, we give you a glance at our activities in this amazing, fast developing country.
The Indian population and economy are growing, resulting in an increasing demand for diverse food of good and safe quality. However, the amount of available land in India, its fertility and the sustainable usage of water, nutrients and chemicals are challenging topics. This provides many opportunities for Dutch companies to get involved in the development of the Indian Agri and Food business.
HollandDoor has many contacts in India and is - often together with other Dutch partners - very active in this country. We are involved in the development of various Agricultural Training and Information Centers. We organize training programs and study trips for Indian growers, researchers and government representatives. And we are asked by important Indian companies for business matchmaking.
In 2018, our ambitions for India are even higher and we foresee a continued growth in our activities. Read this newsletter and feel free to send an e-mail to info@hollanddoor.nl or click here in case you are interested in our services.
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HollandDoor meets Indian Agro Industry at the Krushik
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About 235.000 people from all over India visited this annual event. Farmers, agro industry representatives, government officials, educational organizations and the community gained information about the latest technological developments and the results of research work. In the new Dutch greenhouses of the Center of Excellence (an Indian–Dutch collaboration) all visitors could experience in practice the positive impact that innovation can have.
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Impressive opening of Centre of Excellence, Baramati
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On 2 November 2017, the Maharashtra Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vegetables, built at KVK, Baramati, was officially opened by a group of high-ranking Indian and Dutch officials, witnessed by thousands of farmers. The opening was impressive with over 4,000 guests celebrating this milestone event in Indian horticulture. Click here for a video.
HollandDoor was involved during the entire project (and remains so in the future) and has been responsible for the CoE staff training. The objective was to train the CoE staff in using new Dutch greenhouse technology and to implement new cultivation techniques. Read more...
In the past years HollandDoor facilitated also a few incoming missions related to the CoE project, such as the visit of a delegation of the government of Maharashtra, chaired by Mr. Sharad Pawar, former Agricultural minister of India. Read more...
The CoE project is part of the "National Action Plan of Indo-Dutch Cooperation on horticulture". The CoE is a complete customized design using Dutch greenhouse technology. For more information on the Centre click here.
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Feeding Indian expanding cities
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Every year in October, the Dutch consulate in Mumbai organizes the “Holland meets Mumbai” event. India is confronted with many challenges: the population is growing, the available agricultural land is not increasing, water and other inputs are getting scarce and more expensive. Meanwhile consumers are requesting more and more a diverse, healthy, safe and year round supply of fruit and vegetables. The question is how to feed the Indian population in the coming decades.
HollandDoor was invited by the Dutch consulate to give a keynote lecture entitled “Feeding Indian expanding cities. Is vertical farming a tool or a goal?”. The objective of the lecture - addressed also on behalf of Van Hall Larenstein, University of applied sciences - was to create awareness and understanding of different horticultural cultivation methods from low- to high-tech (like vertical farming). In the audience were representatives of agriculture, real-estate development, investors and Dutch and Indian governments. Many students from WE-School participated too. Interesting group discussions took place which have resulted in new ideas for future developments.
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A business plan for AgroTie, Bangalore
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The mission of AgroTie, a private sector initiative, is to strengthen the economical perspective of rural communities in Karnataka. AgroTie wants to offer inspiration, innovation and ecological and financial improvements for the rural communities. They do so by teaching practical skills, giving advice, setting-up collaborative groups of farmers and by demonstration of innovative techniques. The development of an innovative practical training and service center for the Horticultural sector in Bangalore is on the way. The opening is expected by the end of 2018.
HollandDoor developed, together with AgroTie's team, entrepreneurial experts and PUM (a Dutch-based expert network) a business plan for this center. The staff will be recruited in the coming period. HollandDoor will again play a major role in the training of this staff.
The AgroTie center invites national and international companies to participate. Several Dutch and Indian suppliers, advisory organizations and a financial institute have already expressed serious interest in joining in with the AgroTie location, close to Bangalore.
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Technical training for grape growers from Sangli
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Sangli, a region in the state of Maharashtra in India, is an area where the grape culture is extremely important. The total area is over 10,000 ha.
Back in 2016, HollandDoor and Kobus Bothma - representing Bothma & Associates Consulting from South Africa - had already developed, on request of Maharashtra Grape Growers Association (MGGA), a tailormade training and crop consultancy program. The aim of this program is to give as many grape growers as possible the opportunity to profit from the knowledge and recommendations given. Special attention is paid to the soil, the harvest conditions and the techniques used.
The program started in August 2016 and in April 2017, after five missions, the program was evaluated by MGGA. The grape growers group as well as MGGA were very enthusiastic about the services provided and the training missions were continued with a frequency of one mission every two months. To date, in total 9 training missions were realized and more missions are planned for 2018.
Read more...
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Potential business partners for Cadila Pharmaceuticals
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Cadila Pharmaceuticals is a Gujarat-based company which does business in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sector. A trip to the Netherlands brought the Chairman of Cadila Pharmaceuticals in contact with several potential business partners, who could participate in the strategic ambitions of this innovative company. This intensive business matchmaking tour was organized by HollandDoor.
During the week orders were already given to the Cadila team in India to organize the follow-up of some meetings. In 2018 the final result of this business-matchmaking activity will become clear. Read more...
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In 2016 and 2017 HollandDoor, together with Lentiz Cursus & Consult and Kenlog, organized courses and study tours for IHITC staff. This was made possible by financial support from Nuffic.
Courses were given in India and the Netherlands. During the visits in India opportunities, needs and potential improvements of the horticultural sector were investigated. In the Netherlands as well as in India, visits were made to representatives of producers, wholesale, exporters and the market of the horticultural sector. This resulted in an ambitious business plan.
HollandDoor and IHITC will keep in contact and when needed HollandDoor will give further support to the Center.
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Amit Patil, our contact in India
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Since June 2016, Amit Patil has been our agent, representing HollandDoor in India. Amit finished his Bachelor of International Agribusiness Administration at Van Hall Larenstein, University of applied sciences in 2015. He knows the Indian culture, has a broad network and is involved in organizing and running study tours and training programs. His enthusiasm and knowledge make him very valuable for HollandDoor's Indian projects.
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Other News
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The projects mentioned here are our most important and recent projects in India. You will find more Indian projects in the Asian portfolio on our website. Click here...
We also post regular updates and photos on our Facebook page. Click here...
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Thank you for reading our newsletter!
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HollandDoor Coöperatie U.A.
Johannes Bosboomlaan 11, 6717 HH Ede, The Netherlands
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