RIF to advice Rajasthan Govt on agriculture, food processing

Mumbai, May 9 (UNI) The Rajasthan government has mandated Rabo India Finance Private Ltd (RIF) to develop a comprehensive policy for agriculture and food processing for the state and assist in getting investments in these sectors from international and domestic private sector companies.

A release issued here today stated that the assignment was expected to be completed in six months for which RIF would press into service a highly experienced team drawn from India as well as from the parent's offices in various parts of the world.

RIF Managing Director and Head (Corporate and Commercial Banking) Rajesh Srivastava and Vipin Chandra Sharma of the Rajasthan Agriculture Marketing Board signed the agreement in Jaipur on May four.

The release said the GoR had taken the lead to invite the advice from a specialist to ensure that it would chart a clearly delineated path with firm milestones to achieve a strategic vision to be spelt out in RIF's study.

The release informed that the Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje met Rabobank International Chairman Rik van Slingelandt with other senior executives. During the meet, Ms Raje expressed her confidence in Rabobank's unique knowledge in food and agri-business exhibited recently in the 'Vision 2015' document prepared for the Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MFPI).

Ms Raje also requested full assistance from Rabobank in seeking out investments, post the study phase. Mr Slingelandt assured all support from Rabobank's headquarters and reaffirmed that the bank was fully committed to India and its agri-business development.

Commenting on the deal, RIF Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Bhasin said that, ''This latest advisory mandate adds important value to our portfolio and reaffirms our strategy to help bring global expertise and know-how to progress this sector in India and more importantly position us to take on many more such mandates for mutual successes.'' RIF has been closely working with the Central and various state governments in the recent past on policy and strategic development, stated the release, adding that it had recently prepared a vision, strategy and action plan document for food processing industries in India for the MFPI in addition to a detailed action plan for ten states in India, including Rajasthan, under the National Horticulture Mission, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture.

RIF had also worked with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in preparing a detailed project report for a state-of-the-art auction market in Kolkata, added the release.

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