Finding market for rural produce

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, AUG. 16.A workshop to discuss issues and challenges of rural enterprises, marketing and promotion of rural produce is being organised here on August 19.

The workshop - aptly called the Madhya Pradesh Rural Business Summit - will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh. The Summit is being organised jointly by the State unit of the Confederation of Indian Industry and State Department of Rural Industries.

At the Summit, the discussions would focus on strengthening linkages between industry and micro-enterprises. This approach has particularly been emphasised by Mr. Digvijay Singh in the recent past. The brain-storming sessions would also address issues and challenges of rural enterprise, marketing, branding and promotion of rural produce and technology upgradation, according to the organisers of the Rural Business Summit.

CII views Madhya Pradesh as a State that possesses an enormous potential in rural business and micro-enterprise activities that can make a considerable impact on the economic prosperity of the State. Due to various factors, the performance of the micro- enterprises and self-help groups is yet to reach its optimum stage.

The CII assessment is that the micro or household oriented enterprises are confronted with a basic handicap since they lack elements of latest technology, product upgradation techniques, finance facilities and a sound marketing network. Hence the need for building strong link between industry and this sector is being recognised and the strategy for this would be worked out at the Bhopal, a CII spokesperson told The Hindu.

For the established industries that have better access to the larger markets, there is immense potential for gains through this linkage because of the vast scope to capitalise on the low cost of production, availability of raw material at source and local expertise for the production of vast range of products, the CII spokesman said adding that countries like Japan, Italy, Indonesia and Malaysia have successful models of contractual working of large businesses with micro and rural enterprises.

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