A

CASE STUDY
Report OF
2017-18 SAHYADRI FARMER PRODUCER
COMPANY
NASHIK, MAHARASHTRA

National
Institute of
Agricultural
Extension
Management
(MANAGE)
Centre for Supply Chain Management
Hyderabad and Marketing in Agricultural Extension
 A
CASE STUDY

OF

SAHYADRI FARMER PRODUCER COMPANY

NASHIK, MAHARASHTRA

Centre for Supply Chain Management and Marketing in Agricultural Extension

National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management,

Hyderabad – 500 030
 INDEX

Sl. No. Particular Page No

1 Introduction 1
2 Profile of the company 2

3 Areas of business and performance 6

4 Quality Management Tools used by SFPC 19

5 Perception of Farmer Members and Consumers 21

6 Secrets of Success 22

7 Conclusion 25

8 Pictorial Glimpses 26
 PREFACE
Aggregation of the farmers, especially small and marginal ones, into producer
organizations has been identified as a solution to address many of the traditional ills of the
agriculture sector. It goes without saying that access of the small holders to technology, inputs and
markets is a necessity for ensuring the growth of the sector. Different tired models of aggregation
instruments like cooperatives, SHG, FIG etc. have their own demerits. Hence in order to introduce
the benefits of corporate professionalism in a famer producer organisation,
Prof Y.K.Alagh Committee recommended constitution of Farmer Producer Company by
incorporating requisite provisions in the Companies Act. Accordingly a new chapter has been
incorporated in the Act vide chapter IX A in 2002.Subsequently, Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Govt. of India has
identified FPC as the most appropriate institutional form of aggregation of farmers. Now a large
number of FPCs are in operation in different states, thanks to the special move by the Government
of India. It is time to take stock of the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the aggregation
instrument of FPC. The present report is a case study (by MANAGE) of Sahyadri Farmer Producer
Company operating in the Nashik District of Pune.

FPCs have performed extremely well in the states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and
Kerala. Studies have revealed that farmers have been able to realize higher returns for their
produce. Most of the FPCs remain focused on of crop planning, technology infusion, input supply
and primary marketing. However, amongst the registered FPCs, at least one fourth to a third, have
the potential to leverage their presence further up the value chain. Such companies are involved
in direct retailing, value addition, storage and processing and are also engaged in contract
production of primary and processed agricultural produce.

‘Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company’ is one such farmer producer company operating in
Nasik district of Maharashtra which has excelled in a short span of time. It has leveraged its
presence in the total value chain by involving itself in all the activities of the supply chain including
processing and export. The primary objective of the company was to provide the best of
infrastructure and adequate production and processing facilities to the farmers to make them
participate in the value chain. The company is working with about 8000 farmers including 11
farmer producer organizations. Majority of the farmers working with this company are small and
marginal farmers. The members of the company are involved in cultivation of high value crops
like vegetables and fruits. Majority of the members are cultivating grapes by using the technology
of Global GAP with the technical backstop of the company. Even in other crops the focus of the
company is to produce safe and hygienic food. The bulk of income of the company comes from
export of grapes to countries like USA, Europe and West Asian Countries. The company is also
involved in processing activities covering a wide range of products such as fruit juice, ketchup,
jam and jelly. The company has got tie-up with major retail players for marketing of fresh
vegetables. In a span of six years, the company’s capital base has increased from just ₹2 crore in
the year 2011-12 to ₹52 crore in the year 2016-17.

Against this backdrop and as per the instructions of the Secretary (Agriculture), DAC&FW,
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, a MANAGE team paid a visit to Sahyadri Farmer
Producer Company, Nashik for ascertaining the factors responsible for the success of the company.
The team comprising of Dr. B. K. Paty, Director (OSPM), Dr. K. C. Gummagolmath, Deputy
Director (M&E) and Shri. Krashna Kulkarni, Consultant, MANAGE had interaction with the
Chairman of the company, Mr. Vilas Shinde and other management staff, workers and also the
farmers in their fields. The success of the company can be attributed mainly to its strategy and
vision for vertical and horizontal integration. The farmer- members are proud of their association
with the company, thanks to the approach of the management for involving them in the decision-
making process. The case of the FPC is a success story.

This is a brief report based on the above-cited quick study by the MANAGE team focusing
on the best practices of the FPC. It is hoped that study will be useful for policy makers and different
stakeholders of the agriculture sector.

(Smt. V. Usha Rani)

Director General,
MANAGE
 Chapter -1
Introduction
Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company Ltd. (SFPCL) came into being in the year 2011,
as a revenue model, while ensuring reasonable returns to the farmers and quality and safe food
to the consumers. SFPCL is a leading farmer producer company working with 8000 farmer
members with a capital base of ₹52 crore. The company is working with a tagline “of the
farmers, by the farmers, for the farmers”. Sahyadri was a movement started by Shri. Vilas
Shinde, Chairman of the company, with focus on the welfare of the farmers to get them their
righteous due, while doing business profitably.
It is pertinent here to mention a few words about the mentor of this FPC, Shri Vilas
Shinde. Shri Shinde, after completing his Post-Graduation in Agricultural Engineering from
MPKVV, Rahuri, Maharashtra, worked in a private company for a brief period. However, he
had a passion to make business out of agriculture which was his family occupation. Initially,
he started cultivating export quality of grapes and used to market the same through agents
appointed by the export firms. He realised that the price paid by such agents was much lower
compared to the international market price. This prompted him to explore an opportunity to
sell his grapes directly to the exporting firms for better price compared to price paid by the
agents. Due to low marketable surplus with him, he realised the need for scaling up by working
with other farmers in the region. He started procuring the export quality grapes from farmers
in his village and nearby villages for export of the same to Europe and other countries. It so
happened that in the year 2010, the entire consignment of grapes exported from India was
rejected and all the exporters incurred heavy losses. Further, most of the exporters passed on
their losses to the farmers. However, Shri Vilas Shinde who procured grapes worth ₹7 crore,
paid the entire amount of the farmers. This helped him win permanent trust and loyalty of the
farmers associated with him.
The idea behind the enterprise was to buy all the Fruits & Vegetables offered by the
farmers in strict compliance with food safety standards. The challenges before the company
was to provide the best of infrastructure, adequate production and processing facilities to the
farmers, who had very low level of awareness about Good Agriculture Practices (GAP).
The company intended to have branded traceable product-mix that would promote
sustained growth and ensure the supply of the best quality produce to the Indian Consumers at
reasonable prices. The company realised its sole objective, due to operation of economies of
scale and reduction in transaction cost. The initiative was focused on building the brand
‘Sahyadri’ by “seeding goodness”.

Page 1 of 29
 Chapter-2
Profile of the Company
The company has emerged from the scratch. Today it can boast state-of-the- art technology
with integrated supply chains of different produce both for the international and domestic
market. The following tables reflect the profile of the company.

i Name of the Company Sahyadri Farmers Producer Co. Ltd

ii Corporate Identity Number U01403MH2010PTC211392
iii Registration Date 27th December 2010
Category/Sub-Category of the Company Limited by Shares Indian
iv
Company Non-Government Company
v Whether listed Company No
SR. NO. 1102/8,
Behind police head quarter,
vi Address of company
At post Adgaon , Nashik,
Maharashtra, India 422003
The company laid down its vision and mission on follows:-
Vision
To be a leading Farmer Producer Company (FPC) with the power to bridge the gap
between the rural and urban communities;
 To make farming a profitable & sustainable business for all farmer members
 To provide safe, healthy, affordable - farm produce and value added products to the
consumers

Mission
Sahyadri Farms to be a trusted, value driven and professionally managed Farmer
Producer Company (FPC) of the farmers, by the farmers, for the farmers.
1. Sahyadri Farms aims to make farming profitable and sustainable by;
 Assuring the best possible realization for all farm produce under all circumstances,
 Optimal utilization of available resources, as well as reducing overall costs at the
farm level and also throughout the value chain,
 Effective financial and risk management,
 Mentoring the farmers to increase productivity and quality produce as per global
standards using appropriate technology,
 Effective Post-harvest Management,
 Better access to market

Page 2 of 29
 2. Developing a robust supply chain, which promises traceable, safe, healthy, and
affordable - farm produce and value added products, from farm to plate.
3. Building respectable relationships with the environment, employees and all other
stakeholders

Sahydri Farmers’ Producers Company – Activities and Achievements

Structure of the Company
Company having three tier structures as shown in below:

Page 3 of 29
Board of Directors
Sr. Name of Person Designation/ Contact details
No.
1 Vilas Vishnu Shinde Chairman & [email protected]
Managing Director
2 Azhar Aliasgar Director & [email protected]
Tambuwala Head- Marketing

3 Mangesh Kisan Bhaskar Director & [email protected]

Head- Agronomy
4 Madan Vishram Shinde Director & [email protected]
Head - Finance &
Accounts

5 Shriram Punjaji Dhokare Director

6 Purvish Diwanji Director [email protected]

7 Prashant Dhirendra Additional Director [email protected]

Jaikrishna &
Head- Production
8 Vivek Nemade Head Maintenance [email protected]

9 Amit Mathur Head International [email protected]

Marketing
(Processed Foods)
10 Rupesh Khiste Head - R&D / QA [email protected]

11 Rahul Chandratre Company Secretary

12 Shitij Agarwaal Chief Executive [email protected]
Officer

Details of Company Employees

Sr.
Particular No. of Employee
No
1 Supervisors 68
2 Trainees 50
3 Officer 70
4 Executives 24
5 Assistant Manager 22
6 Manager 18
7 Head of the Departments 7
Total No of Staff 259

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Infrastructure of Company.
Sr. No. Particulars Capacity
1 Construction completed 3.50 Lac Sq. Ft
2 Construction in Progress 1.50 lac Sq. Ft
3 Aggregate handling capacity 850 MT per Day
4 Precooling Rooms ( Number-6 ) Each 50 MT Capacity
i.e. Total 300 MT
5 Cold Storage for fast moving products 2000 MT
6 Cold Storage for frozen products 2000 MT
6 Pre-Cooling Chambers 300 MT
7 Advanced Ripening Chambers-8 200 MT
Each 25 Mt Capacity
8 Semi Controlled Ripening Chambers for 250 Mt Capacity
processing
9 Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Packing Facility 350 MT / day
10 APEDA recognized packhouse 60 Mt/Day
with F & V handling Handling 400 containers per
year
11 Aseptic Processing Facility for Mango, Tomato, 150 MT / day
Banana, Papaya pulp
12 Advanced FMCG Product Lines - Aseptic Juice, 250 Mt/Day
Hot fill Juice, Ketchup, Sauces & Jams
13 Frozen Processing Facility 60 MT / day
14 IQF Processing Facility 60 MT / day
15 Vacuum Pre-Cooling Facility for Leafy 20 MT / day
Vegetables
16 0 Degree Storages 2000 Mt
17 “–Ve” Cold Storages 2000 Mt
18 Dry Warehouses 4000 Mt
19 Total No of Growers are registered with 6398
20 Total Area 15789 Acres

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 Chapter-3
Areas of Business and Performance
The company carries out both backward and forward linkages. As a part of backward
linkage, the company provides services such as scientific cultivation or production of crops
with the help of extension functionaries of the company. Out of the total procurement, ‘A’ and
‘B’ grade produce is sold after primary processing such a cleaning, grading and washing. The
‘C’ grade produce are subject to processing into different products such as jam, jelly, ketchup,
etc. The vegetables such as pea, okra, carrot, corn and fruits such as pomegranate aerials,
mango slices and guava and custard apple pulp are subject to Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)
process.

To meet the commitment of safe food, the company pursues the following:
 To comply with statutory, regulatory and mutually agreed requirements of the
customer.
 To procure excellent quality raw material and process & pack it in hygienic conditions
with advance technology.
 Controlling the food safety hazards at the supplier level by approving the Supplier and
checking the incoming raw and packaging material before use at factory.
 Efficient utilization of all the resources.
 Meeting customer expectations of required standards of the product in time and at a
competitive price.
 Effective Internal and External Communication
 To review and communicate our Quality and Food Safety Policy to all levels of
organization.

I. Production
Production includes scientific cultivation of specific fruits and vegetable which is
having enormous demand, both in the national and international market. Following are the
fruits and vegetables produced by members of the Company:

Page 6 of 29
A. Fresh Fruits
1. Grapes - Black 2. Grapes - Green 3. Grapes - Red
(Seedless) (Seedless) (Seedless)

4. Banana – Elaichi 5. Banana – Robusta 6. Guava – White

7. Papaya 8. Pomegranate 9.Water Melon

10. Musk Melon 11. Orange 12.Sweet Lime

Page 7 of 29
B. Fresh Vegetables

1. Flat Beans 2.Long Beans 3. French Beans

4. Cluster Beans 5. Brinjal 6. Sponge Gourd

7. Bitter Gourd 8. Bottle Gourd 9. Snake Gourd

10. Ivy Gourd 11. Round Gourd 12. Ridge Gourd

13. Alu Leaf 14. Garlic Green Fresh 15. Coriander

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16. Curry Leaves 17 Safflower Leaves 18. Fenugreek

19. Spinach 20. Mint Leaves 21. Dill Leaves

22. Spring Onion 23. Green Amaranthus 24. Red Amaranthus

25. Banana Raw 26. Coconut 27. Papaya Raw

28. Pumpkin-Green 29. Pumpkin-Red 30. Green Capsicum

Page 9 of 29
31. Arbi 32. Beetroot 33. Carrot

34. Carrot Orange 35. Onion- Red 36 Onion-White

37. Potato 38. Raddish White 39. Sweet Potato

II. Processing
Aseptic fruit processing is followed for products by sterilizing and is packed in
drums/containers to maintain the sterility, which allows the products to maintain a longer shelf
life without any preservatives till the opening of the aseptic bags. The products covered by this
process include tomato, mango, guava and papaya pulp. With the all latest technologies in
processing, Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company is involved in production of following product
in aseptic manner and are stored in aseptic bags/ drums in techno- enabled aseptic warehouse.
Following are the products subject to processing:
1. Alphonso Mango Pulp
1. Totapuri Mango Pulp / Conc.
2. Tomato Puree
3. Red Papaya Pulp / Conc.
4. Kesar Mango Pulp
5. White Guava Pulp / Conc.
6. Tomato Paste
7. Banana Pulp / Conc.
8. Tomato paste processing
9. Red papaya pulp/puree
10. Tomato paste
Page 10 of 29
Frozen Fruit Pulps/Purees
Plate freezers are used for freezing fruit pulps/purees like Mango, Guava, Papaya etc.
Pulp is made with State-of-the-Art pulp processing line and then packed in unit packs using
FFS machines. The product is loaded into the station in trays, the freezing plates then closed
hydraulically, thus ensuring double contact, both on the top and bottom of the product. A rapid,
efficient and even freezing is thus achieved using advance designed Plate Freezer imported
from Temp Tech Thailand. Following are the products subject to frozen technology:
1. Frozen Mango Pulp
2. Frozen Guava Pulp
3. Alphonso Mango Pulp (Sweetened)
4. Kesar Mango Pulp (Sweetened)
5. Guava Pulp (Sweetened)
6. Alphonso Mango Pulp (Natural)
7. Totapuri Mango Pulp (Sweetened)
8. Custard Apple Pulp

IQF (FRUITS & VEGETABLES)

The Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) process perhaps the only method whereby all the
natural parameters of the Fruits & Vegetables can be preserved. The most important feature of
this process is the ultra-rapid freezing to a very low temperature (-30 degree C to -40 Degree
C), designed to arrest the activities of micro-organisms that may cause the decay and
deterioration of a particular fruit or vegetable. Such process also gives a much longer shelf life
of say 24 months keeping intact properties like colour, flavour and texture of the product.
Following are fruits and vegetables subject to IQF technology:

Fruits
 Totapuri Mango Dices
 Papaya Dices
 Musk Melon Dices
 Pomegranate Arils
 Pineapple Dices
 Chiku Slices

Vegetables
 Sweet Corn, Cut Okra
 Cut Beans, Carrot Dices
 Onion Dices, Cauliflower
 Capsicum Dices
 Green Chilli, French Beans
 Cut Bitter Gourd

Page 11 of 29
CutOkra Cut Cauliflower Cut Beans

Sweet Corn Totapuri mango dices Red papaya dices

III. Marketing
Sahyadri Farmer Producer Companies adopts a comprehensive marketing strategy
covering both domestic as well international markets. Such strategy helps the company in
ensuring farmers remunerative price for their produce. Over a period of time, the company has
created its own brand due to its approach for providing clean and hygienic products. It has been
able to establish linkages with reputed retail chain operators in the country, thereby ensuring
remunerative price to its members for their produce. The company has made its presence felt
in the International market also by fulfilling safety and quality norms as per the international
standards. It is sharing its profits earned through processing and exports amongst its members.
Due to collective approach, the company is able to reduce the transaction costs to a considerable
extent, the benefit of which are percolating down to the farmer members.

Sahyadri Famer Producer Company has also ventured into retailing through its
subsidiaries like Sahyadri Agro Retail Limited to develop better integrated supply chains.

Backward Linkage
In order to provide back-end support to the member-farmers, the company has started
a Farmer Facility Centre in the company premises. The Centre includes facilities like Consumer
Mall, Agri-input retail centre facilitating farmers having easy access to modern agriculture
inputs with latest varieties, farm equipment's and technology for scientific crop cultivation to
attain maximum output. The company is also providing other services like Bank Finance,
Insurance and welfare measures.
Page 12 of 29
 Figure: Mohadi- Farmers Services- Backend

Forward Linkage
As a part of forward linkage, the company has developed a good network of domestic
retail chain operators for selling produce of its members, mainly vegetables. The company has
also developed a chain of retail outlets by establishing stores under different models like, own,
franchisee, dealers/distributors. The company has a retail chain of 200+ Stores in western
Maharashtra under different models as mentioned below:

1. Business to Consumer (F&V)

It includes following channels of marketing
1. Company – C & F – Own Outlet
2. Company – C & F – Franchisee
3. Company – C & F – Shop in Shop/Modern Store
4. Company – C & F – Dealers & Distributors

2. Business to Consumer (FMCG)

Figure: Nashik- Frontend Retail Store Mumbai- Frontend Retail Store

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 The details of the contribution of different activities like production, processing and
marketing in terms of total turnover of the company are furnished below.

Details of the main Products and services of the Company

Name and Description of NTC Code of the % to total turnover of the
Main Products/ Services Product/Service company.
Fresh fruits & Vegetables 1079 82.20
Processed food 1079 12.40
Others 1079 5.40

Performance of the Company:

Export of Grapes
In addition to generating income from production, processing and marketing of
different agriculture produce, the Grape export stands a major contributor to the company’s
revenue.
Table No. 2: Export of Grape by Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company from 2011 to 2017
Sr. No. Year No of Container % increase
1 2011 156 -
2 2012 221 29.41
3 2013 450 50.89
4 2014 625 28.00
5 2015 570 -9.65
6 2016 904 36.95
7 2017 1150 21.39

The year-wise exports of Grape in terms of containers to different countries in presented

in Table-2. The export in terms of containers has increased from 156 in 2011 to 1150 in 2017
registering an overall growth of more than 38 percent. The Company has registered continuous
year on year growth with 2015 being an exception.

Figure 1. Year wise Export of Grape by Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

Grape Export ( No. of Containers)

1500
1150
904
1000
625 570
450
500 221
156
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Page 14 of 29
Table No. 3: Share of different Companies in Total Export of Grape in 2017.

Sr. No. Name of the Company % of share in total export

1 Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company 14
2 Mahindra 11
3 Euro Fruits 07
4 P. C. Foods 07
5 Fresh TropFoods 05
6 Indy Global 05
7 Mansoon Agro 05
8 Seven Star 04
9 Kalya Export 03
10 Deepak Fertilizers 02
11 Others 37

Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company was the leading exporter of grapes from India
during 2017 with a share of 14 percent (Figure 2) followed by others like Mahindra, Euro
Fruits, PC Foods, etc.

Figure 2. Share of SFPCL in Export of Grape in 2017

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Financial Performance of Company
Table-4: Total Sales and Net Profit of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company
(Amount in ₹ Crores)
Sr. % Change in total sales
Year Total Sales Net Profit
No over previous year
1 2012 14.80 -- 0
2 2013 45.19 67.25 0.17
3 2014 98.20 53.98 2.38
4 2015 107.09 8.30 2.02
5 2016 176.20 39.22 7.16
6 2017 223.47 21.15 7.99

Total sales and net profit of the Company are presented in Table-4. The table reveals
that the company’s total sales have increased from mere ₹14.8 crores at time of inception to
nearly 223.14 crores in year 2017. The company on year on year basis has consistently
registered a double digit growth with 2015 being exception.
On part of net profit earned by company since inception to recent time i.e. during 2012
to 2017, it has nearly touched ₹8.00 mark.

Figure 3. Year wise Total Sales and Net Profit of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

250 223.47 14
200 Sales 176.2 12
10
150 7.99
7.16 8
98.2 107.09
100 6
45.19 2.38 4
50 2.02
14.8 0.17 2
0 -
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Table-5: Net-worth of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

(Amount in Rs Crores)
Sr. No. Year Reserve & Surplus Share Capital Total Worth
1 2011-12 0.02 00 0.02
2 2012-13 0.18 4.86 5.04
3 2013-14 2.56 20.00 22.56
4 2014-15 4.58 30.83 35.41
5 2015-16 14.02 45.61 59.63
6 2016-17 23.57 52.47 76.04

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 Table No.5 shows the year wise total net-worth of company. The table reveals the
increasing trend in the total worth of company. In year 2011-12 company was having
₹0.02 crores of total worth, which has increased to ₹76.04 crores in 2017. Table also reveals
increase in reserves from ₹0.02 crores to ₹23.57 crores during the period. Share capital of the
company has increased to ₹52.47 crores. These figures not only reveals the financial health of
the company but also the kind of trust farmers have in company and its performance.

Figure 4. Net-worth of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

Table-6: Long Term Asset Structure of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

(Amount in Rs Crores)
Sr. No. Year Own Funds Long Term Finance Total Asset
1 2011-12 0.76 00 0.76
2 2012-13 4.77 00 4.77
3 2013-14 26.41 8.44 34.86
4 2014-15 29.14 22.97 52.10
5 2015-16 49.99 27.78 77.77
6 2016-17 92.17 26.29 118.36
7 2017-18 108.42 30.29 138.71
(Up to September)

Table No. 6 depicts the shows the long term asset structure of Sahyadri Farmer Producer
Company. The table reveals that total asset of company increased from ₹0.76 crores in 2011 to
₹138.71 crores during 2017-18. In 2013-14 company was having ₹26.41 crores of rupees as
their own funds and ₹8.44 crores of rupees as long term finance from different entities. In 2017,
company is having ₹108.42 crores and ₹30.29 crores of rupees as their own funds and long
term finance respectively.

Page 17 of 29
Figure 5. Long Term Asset Structure of Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company

Table-7: Financial Performance of S.F.P. Company in 2015-2017.

% increase to
Particulars 2016-17 2015-16
previous year
Total Income 2,07,33,91,464 1,64,84,12,558 -
Profit after Taxation 7,98,94,465 5,52,77,040 30.81
Balance of Profit brought forward 7,62,28,457 3,47,70,677 -
from Balance Sheet
Balance of Profit carried to 13,61,49,306 7,62,28,457 -
balance sheet

The company has registered an increase of 30 percent in profit during 2016-17 over 2015-16
after taxation.

Page 18 of 29
 Chapter -4
Quality Management Tools used by SFPC
a) Initiative of Croplan - Crop Plan Traceability and Farm Management
This Croplan portal of the company assembles farm data in structured format to run
analytics to give insight on farm productivity, operational efficiency and output forecast. This
customized dashboard helps to monitor the data with 360 degree angle on following aspects:

 Forecasting
 Analyses historical data
 Advance Report
 360 degree view
 Customizable Reports and dashboards
 Report exportable to pdf
 System generated alerts and & Highlights for all levels.
 Big data analytics.

Crop Stage Monitoring

The initiative facilitates independent crop monitoring and field visits during the
development stage with pre-harvest measurements and harvest monitoring. Crop stage
monitoring service embraces field visits and qualitative and quantitative assessment. The
system helps in undertaking initial survey to evaluate the factors that may influence
productivity, creating clear and conclusive final reports to facilitate decision-making, monitor
crop development and also track the activities relating to harvest and the receipt of the crop
into the storage and/or processing units.

Farm to Fork traceability

The initiative helps in tracking the products during the delivery of the crop to the first
storage/processing point, as follows:
 Confirmation of receipt of the products at the storage and/or processing units
 Comparison between received and estimated production output
 Verification of possible product deviations
 Creation of reports containing a total receipt of products from the areas being
monitored
b) KISAN-HUB
 This initiative acts as crop advisory and decision support system to farmers
 It includes data integration from production to consumption
 It includes automated weather stations, sensors and satellite imaging.

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 c) Agro Smart:-Sahyadri Wholesale Market Platform
1. Registration of different stakeholders like farmers, traders, traders licensing and
market place configuration
2. Online SMS Gateway Integration Module - Market place web portal,
inward/outward and meetings and scheduling
3. IN Gate entry - Weighment process and online auction process
4. Price Declaration - Cess assessment, farmer receipt, out gate entry and rate
publishing
5. Card Management Software – online payment module

d) Sahyadri ONLINE Farmer’s Academy- Resource

The “Sahyadri Online Farmers Academy” can be securely accessed through the mobile
device by the farmer & other stakeholders to have access to information made available through
the platform. Videos of inputs from Sahyadri team of experts and International Experts will be
made available to the farmers through the platform at their own convenience, place and time!

Certification and Food Safety Standards

Certification
Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company lays emphasis on scientific cultivation with
quality production of crops to meet all the food & safety standards. This helps the company
increase their exports. Presently SFPCL got certified by

1. Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance: Food Safety Management System Standards

ISO 22000:2005 applicable to the manufacture aseptic fruit pulps and concentrate,
Tomato pulp and puree, IQF( Individually Quick Frozen) fruits and vegetables,
Frozen Fruit pulps (Natural and sweetened) and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables.

2. Food Safety Standard Authority of India Licences for Fresh fruits, Fresh Vegetables,
Frozen fruit/fruit Products, Frozen Vegetables, Thermally processed Mango
Pulp/Puree, Sweetened Mango Pulp/Puree, Thermally processed fruit Pulp/Puree,
Sweetened processed fruit Pulp/Puree other than Mango.

3. Global G.A.P. - Certificate of Conformity by British Retail Consortium Certification

Body.

4. U.S Food and Drug Administration, Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

5. Kosher Certification- Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, Kashruth Administrator, New York,
U.S.A.

6. Halal Jamiat Ulama E- Maharashtra

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 Chapter-5
Perception of Farmer Members and Consumers
The team, during its interaction with the farmers, got the following feedback. Some of
the statements made by the farmers are cited as below.
1. Ramdas Patil
Ramdas Patil has been member of Sahyadri Farmer Produce Company for the past
seven years. He opines that the company has won the trust of the farmers. Farmers are sure of
transparency in transaction and business activities of the company. He stated, “ Due to
marketing policy of the company, number of intermediaries got reduced and thus, members
are getting remunerative price for their produce”.
2. Nana Pawar
Shri. Nana Pawar says that due to company’s policy of providing backward linkage and
forward linkage, members are getting solutions for all the problems relating to production and
marketing under a single umbrella.
3. Dilip Patade
According to him. farmer members, despite their small and marginal holdings, are able
to access international market for their produce. Price paid for grape by the company is higher
compared to other exporters, he said. There is transparency in the trading activities of the
company. Moreover, due to collective operation, there is reduction in transaction costs, he
said.
4. Somnath Patil
Shri. Somnath Patil shared his experience of working with Sahyadri Farmer Producer
Company Ltd. Before working as a member of Sahyadri, his experience with other export
agencies was not satisfactory as he received lower price compared to the price paid by this
company. Payment for the sale proceeds are made timely by the Sahyadri Farmer Producer
Company Ltd.
Perceptions of Consumers
1. My daughter never eats fruits and thanks to Sahyadri Farms, she is now inclined to have
fruits sold in the retail outlet of the company due to its freshness and quality maintained by the
company.
- Arya, Shah Heights, Kharghar
2. Sahyadri Farms vegetables are very fresh, clean and last for a longer time. Much better
than what I used to buy earlier from vendors.
- A patron from Kendriya Vihar, Kharghar
3. The veggies are fresh, specially the leafy ones and they even last over a week while the
ones we buy from others have to be used up immediately. I am loving all the products from
Sahyadri Farms.
- A regular patron, Kendriya Vihar, Kharghar

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 Chapter-6
Secrets of Success
Interaction with the CEO, managers and farmers members of the Company revealed
following unique aspects about FPC, Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company (SFPC). These are
perhaps the secrets behind the success of the Organization.

1) Leadership – The success of the SFPC can be attributed mainly to unique leadership of
founder Shri Vilas Shinde. He was convinced about the business opportunities lying in
agriculture right in the beginning of his career. This made him try his luck by
establishing Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company after being failure in two previous
agriculture- based ventures. His ability for risk-taking and entrepreneurship helped him
identify business opportunity that made him see success by establishing Sahyadri
Farmer Producer Company.

2) Winning the loyalty of the Farmer- Members – The Company working with farmers
mainly runs with the active participation of the farmer-members. The success of the
Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company would not have been possible without the
commitment of its loyal members. The company has earned the loyalty of the members
by working closely with them for their benefits and wellbeing. The farmer-members
feel as if they are the citizens of the brand Sahyadri Farms”. Now, both the company
management and the farmer-members are complementing each other by making the
company sustainable and profitable.

3) Efficient Internal Governance – The CEO and managers of the Company are well
aware about their roles and responsibilities in the company and work hard to deliver
results. The clarity about the roles and responsibilities of the functionaries and their
activities leading to realization of the objectives of the company are noteworthy in the
sense that there is a formal structure operating within an informal environment. Thus,
governance is ensured not because of rules and regulations but because of the
commitment of the people. This sort of functioning is very much compatible with the
work culture of farmers. The farmer-members also get ample scope to contribute to the
day-to-day operations of the company through different committees / sub-committees.

4) Professionalism – The Company has the motto ‘for the Farmers, by the farmers and of
the farmers’. The entire team of staff and management is working with this motto with
utmost honesty and sincerity. The company has been successful in inculcating the spirit
of professionalism amongst its staff and management. There are engineers, accountants,
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 company secretary, management professionals, food-technologists etc. working in the
company within well-defined structure of the organization.

5) Participatory Approach – The farmer-members are very much involved in decision

making process of the company and some of the technically qualified farmers do also
work as technical advisors for the company on their respective subjects of
specialization.

6) Vertical and Horizontal Integration – The company has put in place integrated supply
chains of different produce by bringing about both backward and forward linkages
through vertical integration. The company is also expanding its business horizontally
by setting up retail outlets, input business, insurance for farmers etc. This sort of
diversification not only helps the company in providing insurance coverage for their
business risk, but also in making utmost utilization of its infrastructure and technical
manpower.

7) Non-bureaucratic style of functioning – Though the organization has a hierarchy, the

communication amongst functionaries work like that of a flat organization, as any
farmer-member or any manager can speak to the Chairman or any Senior Manager
directly. Thus, the organization does not suffer from the dysfunctional aspects of a
bureaucratic setup.

8) Harmony with Local Culture of farmers– The Company has aligned its objective with
the wellbeing of the farmers it is working with. The technologies and new practices are
introduced in such a manner that the same are compatible with the local environment
and culture for their smooth adoption and sustainability.

9) The State of Art Technology and Infrastructure – The Company, over the years, has
developed state- of- the art technology and infrastructure which provides it the leverage
to have access to international market.

10) Timely tapping of the market – The company, no doubt, has inherent locational
advantage of being in close proximity to two major consumption markets i.e., Mumbai
and Pune, but what is really important is that the company has adopted appropriate
strategies in its product diversification to tap the demand of the market. It has developed
a range of products and follows a deliver mechanism to supply in a timely manner to
the consumer a competitive price.

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11) Branding and its maintenance – The Company has substantially invested in its brand
i.e., Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company. It has built up its brand-equity by coming up
with quality products through a full-proof quality management system. It is not only
measuring up to the expectations of the export market,but also supplying quality
products to different established retail chains of Mumbai and Pune. It is also selling its
branded products through its own retail outlets.

12) Legal Compliance - The Company is complying with all the legal requirements like
FSSAI, Companies Act and other State Acts/Rules . The Company is also complying
with standard practices of storage, packaging, processing, transportation and hygiene.
This has helped the Company to have access to international market, minimize rejection
and operate on thin margin making it competitive in the market.

13) Capacity Building – Farmers get requisite training through the extension workers of
the company at different stages of crop production. The capacity building and extension
programmes of the company has helped the farmers in adopting the requisite
technologies.

14) Commitment of Employees – Employees consider the activities and objectives of the
company as a movement. This speaks volumes about the level of motivation of the
employees.

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 Conclusion
The Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company has established itself in less than a decade
time and has become a leading exporter of grapes from India. It has emerged as a successful
model for management and operation of a Farmers producer company in Indian agricultural
environment. A lot may be learnt from the success of the Company. The capacity of the leader
of a company to conceive an idea and translate it into a business and push it forward through
its rough and tumble is something worth quoting as an inspiring example for others. It is the
leader only who can motivate the team and encourage farmers to come along for establishing
a successful partnership. An association of committed team of workers and loyal farmer-
members is sine qua non for evolving a common goal for the success of a Farmer Producer
Company. Furthermore, the culture of a FPC should necessarily be farmer-friendly for its long-
term success. Besides, ability to tap the opportunity through a balanced produce mix and
diversification as per requirements of domestic and international market and strategies to
deliver the same to the consumer in time-bound manner at competitive prices are some of the
other business principles to be followed by a FPC. Though a company may have different
stakeholders operating at different levels with varied interests including financial stakes, what
counts as a necessary condition for ensuring its long-term success is the democratic principle
of ‘for the farmers, by the farmers and of the farmers’.

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 PICTORIAL GLIMPSES
TEAM- SAHYADRI FARMER PRODUCER COMPANY LIMITED

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 Chairman addressing Farmer's Meet

Interactive session between farmers & Agronomists

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Discussion with Farmers on FPO Model

Session on Good Agricultural Practices

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Agri Inputs Retail Outlet at our Factory

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