India, Dec. 2 -- In a significant achievement for Maharashtras farmer-owned enterprises, Surachita Agro Producer Company Limited (SAPCL), headquartered in Karkambh and registered in 2019, has dispatched its first 20-metric-tonne export consignment of bananas to Dubai. The shipment, facilitated in partnership with Pure Planet India Pvt. Ltd., marks a turning point for the young Farmer Producer Company that once struggled to identify a viable commodity and market.
What began with just 10 shareholder farmers has now grown into a network of 5,000 to 6,000 growers across the district. But the journey, as company leaders describe it, was far from smooth.
In the beginning, we assumed dry raisins would be our anchor commodity, given Solapurs proximity to grape-growing regions, recalls Mr. Ratnadeep More, CEO of Surachita Agro Producer Company Limited. However, field surveys showed limited market demand. Even fresh grape trading didnt work in our favour. That failure pushed us to re-examine our strengths.
It was during this search for a sustainable alternative that the team discovered the expanding potential of banana cultivation. What followed was a rapid shift; farmers began adopting banana as a primary crop, and soon, Surachita Agro crossed a major operational milestone by onboarding 350 dedicated shareholders. Daily harvesting volumes of 810 tonnes helped the FPC generate enough throughput to justify the development of a packhouse facility.
To scale higher, the company applied for a processing unit under the Government of Maharashtras SMART (Hon. Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation) Project, proposing value-added products such as banana powder and vacuum-fried banana chips. But even with processing capacity in sight, the FPC faced a critical gap: access to reliable buyers.
Thats where Palladium made the difference, says Mr. More. We were struggling to find market linkages on our own. Palladium helped us navigate buyer networks, understand export requirements, and connect us with Pure Planet India Pvt. Ltd. Todays export to Dubai is a direct outcome of that support.
The maiden 20-MT shipment marks SAPCLs formal entry into international trade, positioning Solapurs banana growers for improved and stable price realisation in the coming years. Encouraged by the progress, the FPC now plans to process lower-grade bananas which are often wasted at the farmgate into riped banana powder, raw banana powder, and vacuum-fried chips to ensure value addition and reduced post-harvest losses.
Looking ahead, Surachita Agro aims to exponentially scale its outreach.
Right now, we are connected with around 5,000 to 6,000 farmers. In the next few years, we aim to bring 30,000 to 40,000 farmers under banana cultivation, Mr.More adds, emphasising the companys long-term vision of creating a vertically integrated, farmer-centric banana value chain in Solapur.
With this successful export and a growing base of organised farmers, Surachita Agro Producer Company Limited is emerging as yet another example of how Maharashtras FPCs, with the right technical assistance and market linkages, can participate meaningfully in global agri-trade echoing the broader outcomes envisioned under the SMART Project.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from FoodTechBiz.