UP-Valsad bond going strong for five decades now

Surat: Unlike kesar mango farmers in Junagadh who themselves auction their produce in Talala market yard, the Valsadi Hafoos farmers have adopted a hassle-free system where they out rightly give their mango orchards to the traders from Uttar Pradesh on lease every year.
This system has been in place for the last five decades and majority of the traders are from Pratapgarh and Allahabad in UP, who start arriving in Valsad by the first week of May for the plucking and trading of mangoes from the orchards.
Some people from UP employed with the big mango dealers in Mumbai had sensed a business opportunity when they first started arriving in Valsad around 50 years ago. They met the farmers and developed relationship which resulted in the system of leasing the orchards. These workers left their jobs with the Mumbai-based mango dealers and became their suppliers.
“For last 40 years, we are doing business with two traders from UP. Every year, they keep my orchard on lease. The relationship is so strong that they pay us as and when they get money from the dealers in Mumbai,” said Vijay Patel, a farmer from Anjalav village in Valsad.
Pravin Chhajed, a mango farmer from Umbergaon said, “The traders from UP do everything, right of from plucking to transporting and trading the fruits. Last year, I cultivated Rs 20 lakh worth of mangoes. After deducting the cost of cultivation, I earned profit of Rs seven lakh.”
Abdul Rasheed, a mango trader from Pratapgarh said, “I used to accompany my father to Valsad when I was 12 years old. When my father died, I took over the business. We have select farmers in Valsad with whom we are doing business for the last 40 years.”
Abdul said, “We sell the fruit to dealers in Mumbai, Valsad and Surat. If the dealer’s asking price is Rs 700 per 20 kg, we keep the orchard on lease for Rs 500 per kg. Out of the margin of Rs 200 per 20 kg, the actual profit is Rs 50 per kg, because we have to pay to the workers and bear the transportation cost.”
“Every year, I lease out half of my 70 bigha orchard to UP trader who offers maximum price. This year, I will have to manage on my own. I will have to shell out at least Rs 50 per 20 kg more for plucking. Morever, wholesalers are taking advantage of lockdown and not giving enough price to farmers,’’ Tejas Patel, an orchard owner from Kevada village near Valsad.