In an important milestone for small farmers in India, the ULE Farmers producer Company (FPC) from Solapur, Maharashtra, has successfully exported its first full banana insurance to Oman.
The 20-meter-ton shipping, facilitated in collaboration with Agritech platform Vegrow, marks a breakthrough for farmer’s collectives that want to tap into the international markets.
The performance is made possible under the SMART (Hon. Balasaheb Tackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation) program of the state government, which offered crucial infrastructure support with technical assistance from Palladium.
ULE FPC was formed in 2017 and was originally made by marginal grape growers to tackle high costs and limited facilities after harvest. Without Packhouses or cold storage available, farmers were previously forced to transport their products to Sangli and Nashik, which often set themselves for lower rates in the domestic markets.
That scenario changed after the Smart program made investments possible in modern packhouses, pre-cooling units and cold storage rooms. These upgrades have equipped ULE FPC to meet global export standards through improved sorting, assessment, packaging and cold chain management.
Nowadays the collective has 1,127 farmers shareholders and has already reserved 100 hectares for banana cultivation. With the successful Oman -shipment, the FPC is planning to expand banana production to 500 hectares next year and to focus on wider markets in the middle -east.
“After managing the export in 2023, this is the first full shipment of Ule. Bananas from Solapur Get Grip on international markets, where Oman is the first step. There are also conversations for dripping in the coming season,” said Appa Ramchandra Dhanke, a senior member of the FPO.
“The export opportunity has changed the prospects of our farmers. Depending on intermediaries, they are now participating in the international agri -trade. This is not only about a higher income, but about empowerment in the countryside,” Dhanke added during the shipping ceremony.
Dr. Hemant Vasekar, IAS, project director of Smart, government of Maharashtra, appreciated the export and said: “We are delighted to witness ULE FPC Solapur’s effort in exporting their banana to Oman. I am looking forward to the role of Palladium in promoting exports and domestic market for our FPOT future” “
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Published on September 1, 2025
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