Dear Christina,
Thanks for very good news from Europe regarding SRI rice marketing. This
news encourage me for further work on SRI promotion. We are in initial phase
in production. In next year we can start with some quality production
(without pesticide and less chemical with high quality local varieties).
This year we are some plots for trials. results are coming and encouraging.
General varieties are producing very good yield. Marketing information like
yours, guided us for future planning. Rest all things are good.
with best wishes
Rajendra
Nepal.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christina Gradl" <christina.gradl@...>
To: <srimarketing@...>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 10:48 AM
Subject: [SRImarketing] Big success at the SwissRe rice event


>
> Dear friends!
>
> Good news from the European rice front:
>
> Yesterday, I hosted a very successfull rice promotion event in Zurich, in
> cooperation with our partner from SwissRe.
>
> As SwissRe is having their promotion week with our red and pink rice from
> Madagascar, we used the opportunity to invite some potential partners for
> lunch. And we were happy to see that all of them showed up.
> After a small presentation on the project, we tried the red and pink rice
in
> the canteen. And everybody was really excited about it. In the afternoon,
> some people came to visit the Maoala Hall at the Zurich Zoo, an imitation
of
> the Malagassy rain forest.
>
> Of course, we didn't agree on concrete projects yesterday, but we have
very
> good leads with all participants:
>
> * MIGROS (swiss retail chain): Beat Fuchser is interested in teh product
and
> took a sample. they plan to star a new product line with luxury products
and
> he thinks of taking the red rice in there
> * DEZA (swiss development agency): Andreas Gerrits wants to support the
> project. He asked for more detailed information on where to help. I
> mentioned marketing/business training/coaching for Hasina/the farmers in
> Mada and potentially for the other countries as well. Also, DEZA sponsors
> the Malagasy RiceResearchInstitute and Andreas can mention some thoughts
on
> SRI there.
> * Intercooperation (swiss development NGO): Heini Conrad is a true
believer
> in the market potential of luxury rice. We will discuss how to work
together
> with the Malagassy commercialization project SAHA.
> * Max Havelaar: Andre Radlinsky likes the initiative, thinks its a good
> product. Hasina, you should discuss with the Koloharena whether they would
> like to become fairtrade certified. If so, we can start the application
> process
> * Slowfoods: Christine Hurlimann wants to make a Slowfoods event on
> Madagascar in Zurich. Also, she will find out how we can bring all three
> countries to the Slowfoods Terra Madre conference in Turin in October
> * Zurich Zoo: Anna Baumann wants to buy red and pink rice rice for the
> restaurant. Cora Braun wants more information on SRI in order to
communicate
> it to their partners in Masoala
>
> So, all in all, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback for our
> project.
>
> Also, our partner SwissRe is very enthusiastic about what we do and wants
to
> go on supporting the project and even extend the support. Nigel has
business
> relations with the Indians secretary of agriculture and the chinese head
of
> Swissre, who both want to get engaged.
> And if the promotion week is positive, te canteen will want to source red
> and pink rice on a continuous basis. I think it is very likely that the
> employee feedback is positive, as one hour after the canteen opened
> yesterday, all the 120 packages of rice they were selling in the shop were
> already gone!!
>
> So, a big applaus to Hasina and everybody else who helped to make this a
> success in Madagascar!
>
> If people in Sri Lanka and Cambodia are interested in doing something
> similar or getting involved, please let me know.
>
> All the best,
>
> Christina
>
>
> PS: I cannot attach the presentation as the group doesn't allow
attachments >1MB. You can find it in the group under 'Dateien'.
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