The two-day 124th annual conference of United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) will begin in Coonoor on September 13.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MSME Giriraj Singh will be the chief guest for the conference and there will be a half-day session on commodities in the morning of inaugural day.

Representatives of Tea/Coffee/Rubber and Spices Boards will make presentations at the conference, to be chaired by Joint secretary (in-charge for Plantations), Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, Santosh Kumar Sarangi.

There will be an interactive session on environment and forests, the next day, which will be attended by the officials from the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of India and also officials from the Forest Department of three States of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The UPASI Industrial Exhibition will be held coinciding with the Conference which provides a perfect platform to exhibit the technological and scientific advancements in the Plantation Sector.