News: India likely to be emerging wine destination

(IANS 02/06/2007) New Delhi - India is fast emerging as the next big destination for wine, thanks to its potential to grow world-class grapes along with other high value produces like orchids and medicinal plants, says a new study.

"There is an additional opportunity to cultivate globally priced crops such as wine grapes, orchids and medicinal plants. This could increase the income of farmers by two to five times," says a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on the flagship rural development programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government -- Bharat Nirman.

The report said there is growing recognition worldwide that India has large tracts of fertile land, low-cost farm labour and multiple seasons that can help the country become the supply and demand centre for several agricultural sectors in the future.

Currently, wine grapes are grown on less than 4,000 acres of land in India, amounting to a mere three percent of total arable land used for grape crops.

The report also said that extending wine grape cultivation to 35,000 to 40,000 acres could help increase rural income by Rs.1000 crore and create over 50,000 jobs for the rural people directly related to the wine industry over the next five years.

It said it could also help in tapping significant tourism opportunities in many wine-growing areas of the world.