Bengaluru, March 24
More than 2,000 Alphonso mango growers in the Konkan region have partnered with Innoterra, a Swiss-Indian food and tech platform company, to launch their brand under the name Ekyaam.
Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘ekam’, which means ‘one’, Ekyaam is intended to represent both the status of Alphonso as the one mango (‘ek aam’ in Hindi), and the unity of the farmers in marketing it globally.
Fruits sold under the brand are harvested from curated farms, and handled and ripened using methods approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Each fruit is scanned individually before packaging to ensure consumers get the best possible quality, an Innoterra statement said.
Each fruit is marked with a QR code, which allows customers to trace it to the originating farm. Ekyaam products will be available in major cities in India, starting with Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Kolkata, and in multiple-pack sizes. Efforts are underway for a pilot launch in premium international markets, starting with mainland Europe.
“This is a historic partnership involving the Alphonso farmer base across the entire Konkan region. Cooperatives and FPOs [farmer producer organisations] from Ratnagiri, Devgad, Pawas, Vengurla, Kelshi and other regions are collaborating with Innoterra in this initiative. This brand launch is an important milestone to help farmers realise the best possible value of their fruit,” said Mansoor Kazi, board member of Pawas Cooperative.
“This partnership with the Alphonso farmer community is an important demonstration of the power and promise of the Innoterra ag-tech platform. The brand Ekyaam has been developed with a contemporary feel, and intends to showcase the Indian farmer’s ability to deliver premium products to a global audience. Together with the farmers, we will ensure that consumers all over India and globally are able to experience the taste of genuine, high-quality Alphonso,” said Pascal Foehn, Group COO and Co-Head Platform, at Innoterra.