A series of high-profile expert speakers have signed up to take part in Fresh Produce India, India’s only international conference event for fresh fruit and vegetables, which meets on 2-3 April 2009 in Mumbai.

Sudhir Dhanani of Pedoria (UK) Ltd and Hans van Es of the Dutch Produce Association will provide Indian suppliers with expert analysis of the latest market trends in the UK and European markets respectively in the session 'Dealing with the downturn: the export challenge'. Mayank Tandon of major Indian fruit exporter Freshtrop Fruits will also bring a supplier’s perspective to bear on the session, which will explore the best strategies for Indian companies to manage their export businesses amid the more challenging conditions in these markets.

Global banana giant Fresh Del Monte recently signed a long-term production and purchase deal in India, and Mohammed Abbas of Del Monte Foods (UAE) will be on hand to outline the banana sourcing opportunities the multinational sees during a session on investment in the country’s horticulture sector called 'Rise of the corporates: possibilities and pitfalls for investors'. He will be joined on the panel by Chaitanya Rajwade of Mahindra ShubhLabh Services, which last year signed a MoU with global fresh produce group Capespan to investigate forming a joint venture company in India.

Maneesh Dumbre, sourcing manager of Indian hypermarket chain HyperCity Retail (India) Ltd, and P.S.K Varma of specialist fresh produce retailer Namdhari will be part of a panel of supermarket buyers to discuss the development of modern food retailing in India in a session entitled 'Where to now for modern retail?'.

Elsewhere on Day Two of the programme, Craig Stauffer of US-based fruit export company Vanguard International will take part in a session focused on the growth of India’s consumer market and the opportunities for imported fruits.

Several other expert speakers have already confirmed their participation in Fresh Produce India, including Arvind Singhal of Technopak Advisors; Ashok Gulati of the International Food Policy Research Institute; Joe Ruiz of JBT Foodtech; and Steven Leung of Alfa Fruit Packers.

Organised by Asiafruit Magazine, Fresh Produce India expects to attract over 250 delegates to Mumbai this year. The two-day conference provides a unique opportunity to network with the movers and shakers in the country's burgeoning fresh produce business.

All registrations for Fresh Produce India are available online at http://www.freshproduceindia.com/

Save 20 per cent on all delegate fees booked by 18 February.

If you require any further delegate and programme information or would like to obtain a press pass to attend Fresh Produce India please contact:

Alexandra Walker
Events and Marketing Manager
Fresh Produce India
info@freshproduceindia.com
http://www.freshproduceindia.com/
+ 44 207 501 3719

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