New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) Adani Agri Fresh Limited (AAFL) has started the procurement of apple with Rs 85 per kilogram in Himachal Pradesh, which is Rs 5 more that the opening rate of last year.
AAFL procures apple in Himachal Pradesh from Rohru, Rampur, Tutu-Pani, Sainj, Jarol-Tikkar and Reckong-Peo sites, according to the company.
Last month, in a landmark initiative for the horticulture sector, Adani Agri Fresh launched the country’s first digital apple market platform in Bithal near Rampur, about 120 km from Shimla.
The project is designed to directly benefit apple growers across Himachal Pradesh.
Currently being implemented as a pilot phase, farmers are already expressing strong support for the project’s transparency, convenience, and profitability.
The platform enables farmers to digitally participate in transparent auctions, avoid middlemen, and ensure assured payment.
The apples are graded, packed, and marketed under the Adani brand, ensuring uniform quality and higher bargaining power for growers.
This digital platform is beneficial for both buyers and growers. Bidding can be done from anywhere.
Adani Agri Fresh Limited is wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited, part of Adani Group which is one of India’s leading business houses.
With ‘Farm-Pik’, AAFL emerged as the first company to engage in organised apple purchase, storage and marketing by following the construction of state-of-the-art controlled atmospheric storages in the apple belt of Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh in 2006.
The set-up includes state-of-the-art controlled atmosphere facilities of 22,400 MT capacity in the apple growing belts of Shimla district in Bithal (near Rampur), Sainj (near Theog) and Mehandli (Rohru).
AAFL enjoys a procurement network that extends across more than 17,000 growers in Himachal Pradesh, comprising more than 90 per cent small and marginal farmers for sourcing apples spread across 700 villages.
The company’s distribution network comprises 76 wholesale and 1,500 retailers pan-India in addition to the modern retail format.
–IANS
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