Lucknow, May 9: Adani Enterprises Limited’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Adani Agri Fresh Limited (AAFL), has announced its entry into the stone fruit category, starting with cherry procurement in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the company, this expansion will enhance the shelf life of fruits, provide farmers access to larger markets, and ensure better prices for their produce. AAFL has upgraded its controlled environment storage centers at six locations in Himachal Pradesh for the storage and distribution of cherries.
Notably, AAFL has been one of the pioneering companies in organized apple procurement, storage, and marketing in Himachal Pradesh.
Manish Agarwal, the Business Head of AAFL, stated, “We will begin cherry procurement in the upcoming season and gradually expand our operations to include other stone fruits such as peaches and plums. This is part of our ongoing efforts to leverage our apple procurement experience and provide better market access for farmers.”
He made these remarks at the ‘Fruit Horizon 2026: Globalizing India’s Fruit Value Chain’ event, organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Uttar Pradesh State Transformation Commission, and the Horticulture Department.
The company began operations in 2006 under the ‘Farm-Pick’ brand. Since then, it has procured over 300,000 metric tons of apples from more than 17,000 farmers, resulting in direct payments of approximately ₹1,500 crores to these farmers.
Adani Agri Fresh Limited has developed a total storage capacity of 25,000 metric tons in Himachal Pradesh, aiding in the long-term preservation of fruits and their access to larger markets.
The company employs a standardized grading and sorting system to determine transparent pricing based on quality. This reduces farmers’ dependence on traditional markets and ensures they receive better prices.
Additionally, the company is expanding its ‘Digital Mandi’ initiative, allowing farmers to sell their produce remotely without visiting procurement centers. This platform is now being extended to other regions as well.
Currently, the company procures about 4% of the total apple production in Himachal Pradesh and is continuously increasing its capacity to reach more farmers.
AAFL is also collaborating with the Adani Foundation, the social arm of the Adani Group, to work on health, education, and community development in the horticulture sector.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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