Reliance Retail ties up with HP Shiva Project to market subtropical fruits

Reliance Retail has shown keen interest in sourcing horticultural produce cultivated under the Himachal Pradesh Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP Shiva) Project, an initiative funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen the state’s horticulture sector. The project focuses on promoting subtropical fruits such as guava, litchi and citrus, while improving farmers’ income through modern irrigation, solar fencing, quality planting material and assured market linkages.

Marking a breakthrough in connecting Himachali farmers with organised retail markets, the first consignment of sweet lemon (mousambi) from the state has been supplied to Reliance Retail outlets in Rajpura, Punjab. The produce fetched growers significantly better prices — around one quintal of fruit from the Fagog and Talwara clusters in Bilaspur district sold at Rs 44 per kg. Similarly, Vijay Singh Rana from the Dhanot cluster in Kangra district supplied 80 kg of mousambi to the Reliance store in Kangra, earning Rs 55 per kg.

According to Assistant Project Director Dr Ramal Angaria, Reliance Retail has lauded the quality, size, shape and colour of Himachal’s fruit and has expressed willingness to procure larger quantities in the future. Fruit growers such as Bansi Ram, Prakash and Yogesh shared that the partnership has opened a new, profitable avenue for them.

Project Director Dr Devinder Singh Thakur described the collaboration with Reliance Retail as a milestone that would connect Himachal’s farmers with national and global markets. He said the HP Shiva Project not only trains farmers in modern horticultural practices but also ensures end-to-end market linkages, enhancing brand value and visibility of their produce.

Dr Thakur added that the initiative aims to transition farmers from traditional cultivation to commercial and value-driven agriculture. Efforts are also underway to link growers with other major buyers like Big Basket, Agri Store, Zomato and Amazon. This integrated value chain approach, he emphasised, will help secure sustainable markets and fair returns, transforming the horticulture landscape of Himachal Pradesh.