US connects to India with apples, nuts

New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) With a healthy booty of Washington apples, Indiana popcorns, Georgian pecan nuts, Californian pistachios and prunes, the US is looking to forge new "diplomatic" ties by increasing its presence in the Indian health food market.

"We connect to other cultures with book diplomacy, but food is also another great tool of diplomacy. Food unites us. As an ambassador, I can offer India  delicious apples, wonderful pistachios, prunes and popcorns," US ambassador Timothy Roemer told IANS at the AAHAR 2010, a festival of food and hospitality that began Wednesday at the Pragati Maidan here.

The US is represented by leading food export industry groups such as the California Prune Board, Food Export Association of the Midwest, Food Export-Northeast US, the Washington Apple Commission, Southern United States Trade Association and individual companies. The fair ends Sunday.

"The US exhibitors are bringing some of the best and healthiest American food to India. Indian cuisines and hospitality are known all over the world, but it is a pleasure to celebrate American foods that add healthy variety to the dinner tables. Whether it is the red beans and rice of my wife Sally's native Louisiana or the 'rajma' in India, the two countries share so much in food. We use so many common references to food in both our cultures," Roemer said.

Citing figures, he said: "President Barack Obama wanted the US to work on exporting more food to India.

"The good news is that food exports from Indiana - my hometown - to India increased by 41 percent last year. In food, the US, like India, is a great melting pot," Roemer said between bites of fresh Californian prunes from one of the US vends at the fair.

Holly S. Higgins, minister-counsellor for US agricultural affairs in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the head of US Agricultural Office in India, said: "American apples are in high demand in India because they were fresh and were available in 30 varieties."

Flavoured pistachios and popcorns followed apples in the popularity chart. "Indians like six varieties of American apples, especially the Washington red apples. They usually sell during the off-season when Indians do not enjoy local apples," Higgins said.

Prunes - dried sun-ripened plums - and pecan nuts are two other dry health food products that the US is trying to push through the Indian market.

"Prunes have no cholesterol and are rich in vitamins, while pecans, a slightly sweet-and-salty nut, can be used as dessert," Higgins said.

R.G. Lamar, who grows pecan nuts on 2,000 acres of his family farm in Georgia, said: "The nuts are currently exported to China. But I will be meeting some companies in Mumbai next month to discuss tie-ups for export of packed raw nuts. It is a very popular snack in the US."

Food collaboration with India is high on US agenda. "Apart from conventional retail, we have scientific collaborations in food production with fellowship programmes like the Norman E. Borlaug Fellowship for students of agriculture in Indian universities," Higgins said.

The US Agricultural Office in India also interfaces with Indian farmers.