"Capital infusion from both the government and private investors will definitely boost the horticulture sector"

Founded in 2010, Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited, based in Nashik, has emerged as the largest exporter of grapes in India. Remarkably, Sahyadri accounts for nearly 17 per cent of all grapes exported from the country. In 2022, the company clocked a revenue of nearly Rs 800 crore. To further strengthen its operations, it recently raised Rs 310 crore in growth capital from a group of impact-focused investors including Incofin, Korys, FMO and Proparco. Besides, Sahyadri Farms, India’s largest integrated value chain owned by small and marginal farmers, announced the introduction of Employee Stock Ownership Plans ESOPs) worth Rs 45 crore for its employees in 2023. This forms part of the total ESOPs pool amounting to Rs 70 crore. Vilas Shinde, Chairman and Managing Director of Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited expressed his insights on the horticulture value chain in India during an interview with AgroSpectrum. Edited excerpts;

- Dipti Barve

VILAS SHINDE, Chairman and Managing Director of Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited

How is Sahyadri Farms contributing to the horticulture value chain in India?

As the horticulture market in India is worth Rs 1 lakh crore, there is a significant opportunity for small and marginal farmers to increase their per-acre production and income. Sahyadri Farms has developed an ecosystem focused on the horticulture sector in Maharashtra.

At Sahyadri Farms, we have had a clear focus on horticulture crops, from the beginning. In the first phase, we concentrated on a single crop grapes and gradually developed an ecosystem for grapes that includes all stakeholders from seed to last-mile delivery. Today, Sahyadri Farms has become a leading exporter and producer of grapes in the international market. After grapes, we shifted our attention to eight other horticulture crops, including tomatoes, pomegranates, mangoes, sweet lime, oranges, bananas, sweet corn and cashews. For each of these crops, we are developing an ecosystem using the cluster farming approach and connecting small-scale farmers through the Farmer Producer Company (FPC) model. Additionally, we are one of the largest producers and processors of tomatoes, contributing to almost 50 per cent of all Kissan tomato ketchup, a brand owned by Unilever.

What is the role of the FPC model in the horticulture value chain?

The FPC model is basically a collective process. The FPC model plays a crucial role, especially for small-holder horticulture growers who may struggle to manage various aspects of the horticulture value chain at a small scale, such as new farm practices for increasing yield, marketing, post-harvest supply chain infrastructure, and logistics.