Nashik to cash in on retail boom

Nashik district, the country's largest producer of onion, grapes and vegetables, is cashing in on the retail revolution.

The district, an Agri Export Zone (AEZ) for onion, grapes, keshar mango, pomegranates and flowers, is fast becoming the source of agri goods for retail companies such as Subhiksha and Reliance Retail.

Subhiksha, the Chennai-based food, grocery and pharmacy discount retail chain, is planning to source 50 per cent of vegetables and fruits for its retail stores across the country from Nashik through contract farming.

The company, which has close to 900 outlets, is setting up a Centralised Processing Unit (CPU) in Nashik for the purpose.

Each retail store of Subhiksha requires an average 5 tonnes of vegetables and fruits daily. As the number of its retail stores will touch the 1,000-mark by July 2007, the company will require an average 5,000 tonnes of vegetables and fruits daily.

Reliance Retail, which runs retail outlets under the brand name Reliance Fresh, is also planning to source vegetables and fruits from Nashik through contract farming.

Besides, the company has also got licence from Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee for onion purchase.

In January 2007, New Delhi-based Global Agri System (GASPL) had signed a contract with the onion-growers in Dindori tehsil for purchasing 5,000 tonnes of unhal onions.

Nashik's grape exports, too, are touching record levels. In 2007, around 131 companies exported 19,000 tonnes of grapes to 13 countries including the UK, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Russia. These firms had signed a contract with around 6,000 grape-growers in the district to source export quality grapes.

In 2007 grape season, Mahindra Shubhlabh Services, a Mahindra group company, had signed a contract with around 120 grapes-growers from Nashik. The company exported 708 tonnes of grapes from the district.