Himachal: Adani Agri Fresh to enter stone fruit market next season

Himachal Pradesh: Adani Agri Fresh is poised to expand its reach in Himachal’s fruit economy. Adani Agri Fresh, the largest private apple sourcing company in the state, will also begin purchasing stone fruits from next season. Manjeet Sheelu, Chief Procurement Officer at Adani Agri Fresh, said, “We will initially focus primarily on cherries. Other fruits like plums and green almonds will also be procured.” Similar to apples, the company will procure cherries and other stone fruits from growers at its CA stores. However, instead of storing them like apples, they will be immediately shipped to markets like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and others. “For example, cherries will be hydro-cooled and then sent to Chandigarh via refrigerated vans. From there, they will be airlifted to various markets,” Sheelu said. “We have tied up with e-commerce platforms like Zepto and Blinkit, who will transport these fruits to different parts of the country.” Meanwhile, growers are hopeful that Adani Agri Fresh’s entry into the stone fruit business will be beneficial for them. Deepak Singha, president of the Stone Fruit Growers Association, said, “Post-harvest infrastructure and market linkages are crucial due to the short shelf life of stone fruit. Adani’s entry will improve both, and growers will receive better prices for their produce.” Due to the lack of proper post-harvest infrastructure, growers had no control over the supply chain due to the fruit’s short shelf life and were forced to sell their produce regardless of prevailing rates. Furthermore, they were unable to access distant markets like Mumbai, Bengaluru, etc. Singha added, “Once the company begins shipping fruit to unexplored markets, it will reduce supply in traditional markets. This will help growers receive better prices.” Currently, there isn’t much post-harvest infrastructure for stone fruit. He said, “We have a hydro-cooling machine at HPMC’s Jarol-Tikkar CA store. This significantly increases the shelf life of cherries. Furthermore, we have requested Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi to install a forced air cooling plant for plums as well.”