New Delhi, 25 November 2025: Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, today called on the hospitality sector to establish direct, structured, and long-term partnerships with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), describing such linkages as essential for ensuring reliable access to high-quality agricultural produce and improving farmer incomes.
Speaking at the FPO–Hospitality & Farmers’ Benefit Summit 2025, organised by the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), he said that FPO–hotel collaborations have the potential to create a strong, mutually beneficial model—where farmers receive fair value for their produce and hotels gain access to premium, largely chemical-free ingredients.
Mr. Chaturvedi noted that India is home to nearly 40,000 FPOs, many of which offer produce that aligns with the hospitality sector’s growing demand for clean, safe, and sustainable food. He emphasized that farmers continue to struggle with an inverted pricing system—purchasing inputs at retail rates while selling their produce at wholesale prices. Direct procurement partnerships with the hospitality industry, he said, can help correct this imbalance.
Reinforcing the Prime Minister’s vision for stronger agriculture–industry cooperation, the Agriculture Secretary highlighted that such partnerships would reduce intermediaries, stabilize supply chains, enhance farmer profitability, and support the hospitality sector in expanding its GDP contribution and job creation. He further pointed to the Government’s continued promotion of organic farming, GI-tagged products, and responsible tourism, citing the Kumarakom Model in Kerala as a leading example of sustainable industry–community integration.
Addressing the Summit, Mr. Suman Billa, Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Tourism, stressed the need for a fast-tracked and structured architecture for farmer–hotel partnerships. A robust framework, he noted, would accelerate national priorities while strengthening tourism-driven value chains and improving rural livelihoods.
FHRAI President Mr. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal reiterated that hotels are ready to directly procure from FPOs, provided consistent supply and assured quality are maintained.
Mr. M. P. Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, HAI, once again emphasized the hospitality sector’s long-standing request for infrastructure status to unlock greater development opportunities.
Industry leaders including Mr. Rahool Macarius (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts), Mr. Vishvapreet Singh Cheema (Lemon Tree Hotels), and Ms. Ankita Jaiswal (HRANI & UPHRA) also shared perspectives during the inaugural session.
Delivering the Vote of Thanks on behalf of FHRAI and HRANI, Mr. Garish Oberoi expressed gratitude to Chief Guest Shri Devesh Chaturvedi for his policy insights and to Guest of Honour Shri Suman Billa for strengthening the tourism sector’s commitment to rural partnerships. He also acknowledged the pivotal role of Ms. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, whose strategic leadership and inter-ministerial coordination shaped the Summit’s theme and collaborative approach.
He extended thanks to distinguished guests, including:
• Mr. M. P. Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, HAI
• Mr. Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels
• Mr. Vishvapreet Singh Cheema, President, Lemon Tree Hotels
• Mr. Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director – Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Appreciation was also extended to Mr. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, President, FHRAI, and Ms. Ankita Jaiswal, Chairperson, Sustainable & Responsible Tourism (HRANI & UPHRA), for their leadership in bringing stakeholders together. He thanked all ministries, FPO representatives, hospitality leaders, panelists, media, and the Le Meridien team for their support.
A focused technical session moderated by food writer Mr. Sourish Bhattacharyya presented a clear operational roadmap for implementing a national farm-to-hospitality supply chain. Key contributors included Ms. Asha Sota (MoAFW), Mr. Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya (Ekgaon Group), Mr. Kirti Prasanna Mishra (Ecociate Consultants), Mr. Ashwni Kumar Goela (Radisson Hotel Group), Ms. Meena Bhatia (Le Meridien, New Delhi), Chef Davinder Kumar, and Chef Rakesh Sethi.
The resulting framework represents one of India’s first comprehensive, multi-stakeholder blueprints for integrating farmers with the hospitality supply chain.
A major highlight of the Summit was FHRAI’s curated exhibition featuring 50 FPOs from 17 states, showcasing an impressive array of regional and GI-tagged products such as yellow tea, Kashmiri mamra almonds, Himalayan saffron, makhana, black turmeric, forest honey, katarni rice, and Kandhamal haldi. The exhibition highlighted India’s agricultural richness and offered FPOs unprecedented exposure to institutional market requirements.
