The strides of the Retail Industry have been colossal. Surprisingly, when a few years ago, the very existence of this sector had been a distant reverie! States nationwide have watched in awe, as the shining, glamorous 'glass places', to sound modest, have been unveiled with aplomb.

This time round, the Eastern part of India has kept stop with this phenomenal growth. And Keventer Group-Keventer Fresh has undoubtedly played a major part in this upheaval. The journey was a long one. And the foundation had to be laid cautiously. Hence the Group embarked on the voyage by identifying basic factors that affect proper distribution and sale of produce.

Keventer Fresh Ltd. (KFL), a company promoted by Keventer Group, has set up a Post Harvest Processing and Packaging Center for Horticulture produce with state-of-the-art technology for sorting, grading and packing of fruits and vegetables and various other food items, besides being declared an Agri Export Zone (AEZ) for vegetable by the Govt. of West Bengal. KFL is also setting up a Post Harvest Agro Infrastructure of nearly 200,000 sq. ft.

Both the aforementioned centres are at Barasat, near Kolkata a an estimated cost of INR 300 million, where processed fruits and vegetables will be packed and despatched in palletized form under controlled atmospheric conditions.

This facility has started operations from January, 2008, and includes :

• Collection and pre-cooling of fresh produce from the farms.

• Processing (cleaning, sorting, grading and storage under controlled atmosphere).

• Fruits Ripening Chambers (specially for bananas).

• Packaging in various formats to ensure freshness of the produce

• Transportation of fresh horticulture / agricultural produce to the Distribution Centers / Stores.

KFL has also started to cater to institutional segments, super markets and retail chains by providing specialized facilities in its Packaging Centre including supply of good quality fruits and vegetables. Being GMP certified, the processing unit will follow ISO procedures and acquire HACCP certification apart from strict adherence to its own quality standards. It is also proposed to obtain certification under the Eurogap for supplies to retail chains in Europe in the future.

Keventer Fresh has set up a pilot project to study different factors affecting fresh produce and the technological interventions to handle these, in order to preserve freshness and to create a win-win situation for both farmers and the consumers. KFL has also started its own innovative Direct to Home delivery model in F & V segment. KFL has also ventured into Multi-speciality health foods and functional foods under the brand Keventer's Organique. KFL is now embarking on a pan India operation by sourcing fresh and exotic fruits from India and outside the country and distributing all over India.