Adani Agri Fresh Expands into Cherries, Brings New Opportunities for Himachal’s Fruit Growers

Adani Agri Fresh Limited (AAFL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited, has announced its entry into the stone fruit segment, starting with cherry procurement in Himachal Pradesh. The move marks a fresh expansion for the company, which has already established a strong presence in apple procurement, storage and marketing in the state.

The company said its foray into cherries and other stone fruits—such as peaches and plums in the future—aims to enhance shelf life, market reach and price realisation for farmers. To support this initiative, AAFL has upgraded controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facilities at six locations across Himachal Pradesh, making them suitable for cherry storage and efficient distribution.

Speaking at the Fruit Horizon 2026: Globalizing India’s Fruit Value Chain conference organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) along with the Uttar Pradesh State Transformation Commission and the Department of Horticulture, Manish Agarwal, Business Head of AAFL, said the expansion builds naturally on the company’s long-standing experience with apples.

“We will begin with cherry procurement in the coming season and gradually expand into other stone fruits such as peaches and plums. This initiative strengthens our focus on improving market access and value realisation for farmers,” Agarwal said.

AAFL has been one of the early organised players in Himachal Pradesh’s apple economy. Since starting operations in 2006 under the Farm‑Pik brand, the company has procured more than 3 lakh metric tonnes of apples from over 17,000 farmers, with direct payouts amounting to nearly ₹1,500 crore. Over the years, it has developed a cumulative storage capacity of 25,000 metric tonnes in the state, helping farmers reduce post-harvest losses and reach wider markets.

The company follows a standardised grading and sorting system, which allows transparent and quality-based pricing. This reduces farmers’ dependence on traditional mandis and helps them secure better returns for their produce.

AAFL is also scaling up its Digital Mandi initiative, a platform that allows growers to sell their produce remotely without physically visiting procurement centres. The digital platform is being extended to more regions, making participation easier for farmers in remote orchard belts.

Currently, Adani Agri Fresh procures about 4 per cent of Himachal Pradesh’s apple production, with plans to further increase capacity and outreach to reach more growers across the state.

Beyond business operations, AAFL continues to work closely with the Adani Foundation, the group’s social development arm, to support healthcare, education and community development programmes in orchard-growing regions.

With its entry into cherries and upcoming plans for other stone fruits, the company’s expansion is expected to open up new income avenues for Himachal’s fruit growers, while strengthening the state’s position in India’s evolving horticulture value chain.