Fact check: No, Adani group did not enter agribusiness after farm laws were passed
Few photographs of apples marked Adani Farmpik stamp have gone viral in Telugu states.Users said....
By Satya Priya BN Published on 1 Feb 2021 7:45 AM GMT
Few photographs of apples marked Adani Farmpik stamp have gone viral in Telugu states.
Users said: "Corporate Companies are stepping into farming ā Now you know why farmers are fighting"
This claim is being circulated on social media since January 2021.
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Fact Check:
The claim that Adani and other corporates are stepping into farming after the agricultural laws are being implemented and that is why farmers are protesting is FALSE.
Adani is in the agricultural business for a long time. Farmers' protest has no relation with Adani entering the Agri sector.
According to Bloomberg.com, Adani Agri Fresh Limited distributes fruits and vegetables. Registered as Retail and Wholesale industry, it was founded in 2004. The Company not only provides apples but also pears, citrus fruits, kiwis, and grapes to customers globally.
When searched, we found several reports in 2013 stating Adani Agri Fresh Ltd (AAFL) has started procuring apples from farmers at their orchards in Himachal Pradesh. Adani Group made its entry into the lucrative apple business in 2012. In the first phase, Adani has invested over Rs 160 crore to set up cold storage units at Mehandli, Rewali, and Sainj, all located in Shimla district.
According to thehindubusinessline.com, Adani Wilmar plans to sell its Farm Pik branded fruits at 200 grocery stores across Ahmedabad as a pilot, before going pan India. It aims to derive better margins from its horticulture business under subsidiary company Adani Agrifresh.
Adani Agrifresh has been more of a trading company all these years, importing fruits and sourcing from farmers in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. It sells almost 19,000 tonnes of fruits (apples, pears, orange, grapes, and kiwi) to wholesalers across 40 cities.
According to adani.com, Adani Agri Logistics is a pioneer in bulk handling, storage, and transportation (distribution) of food grains, and in providing an end-to-end bulk supply chain solution to the Food Corporation of India and various state governments. The company commissioned India's first modern grain storage infrastructure for Food Corporation of India in 2007. It commissioned grain silos in Moga (Punjab) and Kaithal (Haryana) to store grains, and established receiving silos in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Coimbatore, cities connected through Adani's dedicated railway rakes.
With 'Farm-Pik', AAFL has instituted the largest integrated apple supply chain initiative with ultra-modern storage infrastructure in the country to provide fresh farm products to its consumers and improve the livelihood of the apple farmers across the Himalayan states.
In Himachal Pradesh, AAFL has set up 3 Controlled Atmosphere (CA) facilities to store 23,000 MT of apples. These are located at Rampur, Rohru and Sainj in Shimla district. AAFL purchases apples from 15,000 farmers and also provides agri-inputs and extension services through its Farmer Service Centers. AAFL markets its apples under the brand name 'Farm-Pik' across the country through an elaborate distribution network.
AAFL also imports fruits such as apples, pears, citrus fruits, kiwis, and grapes from around the globe to market in India.
Adani group along with a Singaporean agribusiness group, Wilmar International Limited formed Adani Wilmar Limited. Adani Wilmar Limited (AWL) is a joint venture incorporated in January 1999 between Adani Group- the leaders in private infrastructure and Wilmar International Limited - Singapore, Asia's leading Agribusiness group. It is one of the fastest-growing food FMCG companies in India.
The product portfolio of Adani Wilmar spans various brands such as - Fortune, King's, Bullet, Raag, Avsar, Pilaf, Jubilee, Fryola, Alpha, Alife, and Aadhar.
https://www.adaniwilmar.com/
Hence, the claim that the Adani group entered into fruit and farming business after the Agricultural laws were implemented and that is why farmers are protesting is FALSE.
