USSEC India recently participated in Aahar, which is the largest food show in South Asia. USSEC partnered with USDA and some selected soy food industries to put up two booths, one of which was called the “Soy Pavilion.” Five soy food companies participated in this food show under USSEC’s flagship and displayed their soy products and distributed samples to public audiences.
USSEC took this opportunity to highlight U.S food beans and soy oil on this platform and received queries for these products. The food expo was visited by a number of people from various food processing sectors, food importers, traders, ingredient suppliers, government officers and policy makers, food processing machinery manufacturers and others in the food value chain. “Soy Messages” were disseminated though various publications that covered subjects on soy health benefits, soy food products, U.S food specialty beans, soy oil, etc. The Soy Pavilion generated great interest among visitors.
The Deputy Chief of U.S Embassy - Michael P. Pelletier, along with the Minister Counsellor of Agriculture Affairs Scott S. Sindelar, visited the USSEC booth and had discussions with USSEC Director - India Food Program Dr. Ratan Sharma about the possibility of U.S Soy imports to India and the Asian Subcontinent. Dr. Sharma explained the soy situation in the Asian Subcontinent and about increasing imports of U.S soybeans and soybean meal to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. He talked about USSEC’s work to promote U.S soybean meal and food beans in the region and about recent U.S trade team visits and a food bean import that was in process.
Mr. Sindelar and other U.S officers from the U.S Embassy in Delhi and the Mumbai U.S Consulate visited the Soy Pavilion and interacted with all soy food exhibitors about their businesses and about U.S Soy. USDA officers referred some trade contacts interested in importing U.S products to USSEC.
A few of the soy food companies displayed and sold their newly developed ready-to-eat soy-based products to visitors. This attracted a large crowd who was eager to enjoy the soy food products.