Alk Brand, Group CEO of Westfalia Fruit, is on his first visit to India after the establishment of West-In Avo, a joint venture of Westfalia Fruit International with Sam Agri – India, Dvori Or & Zohara Farms – Israel for integrated cultivation of avocado and marketing project. The visit included a review of West-In Avo’s long-term strategy for the Indian market, growth plans and Westfalia Fruit’s commitment to develop the avocado industry in India.
West-In Avo is looking to expand the total nursery capacity to propagate over 100,000 plants per year and also begin producing clonal plants, which have better tolerance to phytophthora root rot and are also ideal for tropical growing conditions such as high rainfall in the Western Ghats region. West-In Avo is looking to work with large and small growers in this region to expand avocado growing areas from the current 120 hectare plantation to over 1000 hectares in the next 3-4 years.
“We had a good start to our partnership in India, establishing ourselves as the avocado market leader, with the largest growing footprint of avocado orchards and also commercialization of the avocado fruit in the Indian market. We see great potential for the development of India into a large market for growing Hass avocados for both domestic consumption and exports and Westfalia Fruit will take a leadership role in establishing the avocado industry in India.” mentioned Alk Brand, managing director of the Westfalia Fruit Group.
GVK Naidu, Chief Executive Officer of Sam Agri Group added, “As the first integrated avocado project in India, we have built a very strong relationship with our grower partners by providing the highest quality seed material, ongoing technical support, developing a package of practices for Indian conditions and also offering buy back products for marketing.”
About West In Avo
West-In Avo is a subsidiary of Westfalia Fruit, formed in joint venture with Sam Agri – India, Dvori-Or, and Zohara Farms – Israel, to introduce Hass avocados in India as well as other internationally accepted varieties that adapt to the climate Indian. West-In Avo markets Hass India avocados sourced from Westphalia’s global farm network and developed farm network in India.
About Westfalia Fruit
The multinational Westfalia Fruit Group is a leading supplier of fresh and processed products to international markets, offering a wide range of quality fruit and related products through its vertically integrated supply chain. Founded over 70 years ago to drive environmental, social, governance, and sustainability principles. These practices, based on the legacy of Dr Hans Merensky, are at the heart of everything that is done by the Group – ‘To Do Good’ – and continue to underpin our approach today.
Today, operating in 15 countries spread across 5 continents, Westfalia Fruit Group prides itself on promoting sustainable agricultural practices and being a responsible corporate citizen within the communities where it operates.
As the frontrunner in the avocado industry, Westfalia grows, buys, ripens, packs, processes, and markets accredited avocados worldwide throughout the year. Value-added products include avocado oil, low-preservative guacamole, frozen avocado, and dried fruit.
Westfalia grows the fruit of all major origins in the Americas and Africa and sources from partner orchards, giving the Group the most diverse avocado footprint in the world. Westphalia’s dynamic and integrated supply chain from research to consumer benefits all stakeholders. The Group’s research division, Westfalia Technological Services, is the largest privately funded subtropical fruit research unit in the world. Its dedicated team of scientists and technicians focuses on a variety of development, innovation, and environmental issues and plays a vital role in shaping the future of the global avocado industry.
A supplier of choice for retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers, Westfalia operates sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America, Southern Africa, and Asia. The fruit is packaged in different formats and expertly ripened to offer optimal consumption quality.
For more information, visit www.westfaliafruit.com.
