Unlike most other logistics companies with cold storage in India, which work mostly with dairy products, pharmaceuticals or processed products, Suri Agrofresh is fully devoted to fresh produce. “All the fruit coming to us is delivered in a palletised form and is handled in the most efficient manner, which is why we have always been considered specialists in the sector,” says Joint Manager Director Hitin Suri. "We also take care of our drivers, the environment we provide for them is as meticulous as the one we provide for the food.” These factors have allowed the company to be chosen as the best cold chain provider.
Suri Agrofresh also works closely with the farmers, making them aware of international technologies and packaging regulations, focusing not only in the post-harvest, but in the entire system. Another key aspect is its collaboration with key partners, like Total Produce. “We are one of the few companies with nine joint ventures, and those nine have been running for more than two decades, and all are making money and recording growth,” states Suri.
To achieve its efficiency, the firm is committed to enforcing the highest possible standards. “When we handle our produce, we aim to reduce the wastage by increasing the shelf life of the produce. We have brought in some technologies from global players and incorporated them into our logistics,” assures Suri. At national level, he explains that wastage has been reduced to a significant level, but there are still a lot of gaps.”
In any case, the warehousing sector has been growing and this is an area where the company has also been able to take advantage, since “as a family, we have five state-of-the art facilities for banana ripening, frozen applications, controlled atmosphere or modified atmosphere cold storage.” Having an organized retail system is also important, not just for the company, but for any business in India. The problem is that “95% of the buyers are an unorganized industry, but fortunately the volume of organized buyers we deal with has increased by 3 to 4 times.”
It is worth highlighting that these efforts to enhance the value chain have had an impact, not just for Suri Agrofresh, but for the country as a whole. For example, India’s apple imports dropped by 20% to 30% last year, but the consumption was the same. That gap is filled by firms like us and other major players, allowing for Indian apples to take the place of imported apples.” This was also made possible by the government's initiative to bring in cold chain schemes aggressively - also the crop was good.
Efforts are also going into other crucial aspects, including the supply of a wide range of fruits or the introduction of innovative packaging to meet the requirements of its customers. But all in all, what makes Suri Agrofresh stand out the most from its competitors is that, “Whatever money we have made from our operations in the past 20 years, it has been invested again into the value chain. We are a passion-driven company,” ended Suri.
For more information:
Hitin Suri
Suri Agro Fresh Ltd. (India)
Tel: 0091 9555720000
Email: hsuri@suriagrofresh.com
www.suriagrofresh.com