New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) The hospitality industry needs to forge direct, structured and long-term partnerships with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), a senior government official said on Monday, calling such collaborations indispensable for ensuring consistent access to high-quality agricultural produce.

Addressing the FPO-Hospitality and Farmers’ Benefit Summit 2025, organised by the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), Dr Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, emphasized that direct FPO-hotel linkages would form a powerful win-win model — boosting farmers’ incomes while enabling hotels to source premium, largely chemical-free ingredients.

India now hosts nearly 40,000 FPOs, many offering produce that naturally aligns with the hospitality sector’s rising demand for clean, safe, and sustainable food.

He underscored that farmers continue to face an inverted pricing cycle — buying inputs at retail prices but selling produce at wholesale — an imbalance that can be corrected only through direct procurement partnerships with hotels.

Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for stronger agriculture–industry collaborations, he noted that such partnerships would reduce middlemen, secure supply chains, raise farmer profitability, and enable the hospitality sector to expand GDP contribution and employment.

Chaturvedi added that the government is promoting organic farming, GI-tagged products, and responsible tourism, citing the Kumarakom Model in Kerala as a benchmark for sustainable industry–community integration.

Speaking at the Summit, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, said India needs a fast-tracked, structured farmer–hotel partnership architecture. Such a model, he noted, would accelerate the Government’s vision while uplifting rural livelihoods and strengthening tourism-driven value chains.

FHRAI President Surendra Kumar Jaiswal also reaffirmed the readiness of hotels to procure directly from FPOs — provided supply is consistent and quality-assured. M.P. Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, HAI, reiterated the long-standing demand for granting infrastructure status to hotels to unlock broader development opportunities.

–IANS

na/