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For Jitesh Patel, the shift to cultivating potatoes for french fries marked a significant turning point in his family’s fortunes.
Hailing from a lineage of farmers in Gujarat, a state in northwest India, the Patel family traditionally cultivated cotton, but faced dwindling returns.
The droughts of 2001 and 2002 exacerbated their challenges, prompting the Patels to seek alternative solutions.
“We realised that we had to start growing something that does not require lot of water,” Mr Patel explains.
Initially, they experimented with table potatoes, the common variety found in local markets and used in home cooking. However, the profits remained marginal, similar to those from cotton.
In 2007, influenced by the burgeoning presence of french fry manufacturers in the region, they transitioned to cultivating potato varieties specifically suited for the food industry. This strategic decision proved to be a resounding success.
“Since then, no looking back,” Mr Patel remarks.
Mr. Patel’s story is emblematic of India’s emergence as a major player in the global potato market, now the world’s second-largest producer of the crop.
The export market, particularly for french fries, is experiencing significant growth.
Gujarat has become the epicenter of India’s french fry production, hosting substantial manufacturing facilities. These include operations belonging to Canadian multinational McCain Foods, as well as HyFun Foods, India’s leading french fry producer.
French fries from Gujarat are distributed worldwide. However, Devendra K, a long-time analyst of the potato market, notes that the most prominent markets currently lie in Asia, encompassing countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.
In February of this year, India’s monthly exports of frozen fries exceeded 20,000 tonnes for the first time. Total fry exports for the year ending in February reached 181,773 tonnes, representing a 45% increase compared to the previous year.
This achievement can be attributed, in part, to competitive pricing.
“Indian frozen fries are noted for being competitively priced in the international market,” Devendra states.
He further notes that in 2024, the average price of Indian fries was even lower than that of Chinese fries.
For french fry producers, these are prosperous times.
“India has emerged as a significant player and exporter due to its abundant agricultural produce, cost-effective manufacturing, and growing focus on quality standards,” asserts Haresh Karamchandani, CEO of HyFun Foods.
HyFun currently operates seven potato processing plants in Gujarat, with plans to bring two more online by 2026.
“Urbanisation, increasing disposable incomes and changing lifestyles have promoted the consumption of frozen foods, not only in the household but also in food service establishments,” Mr Karamchandani explains.
Meeting this growing demand has required decades of innovation from farmers.
Jitesh Patel, who studied agriculture at university, has been applying scientific principles to farming ever since.
Working alongside friends and family, he continuously strives to improve potato yields.
“We are a well educated bunch of farmers, so we keep trying new methods,” he says.
One of their initial innovations, implemented in 2003, was the transition from flood irrigation to a drip irrigation system.
To maintain soil productivity, the fields are left fallow during the summer months and fertilized with cow manure.
Their current focus is on identifying the ideal potato plant.
“We are in the process of experimenting with seeds and soon we will have a new variety,” he says.
Jain Irrigation Systems, a prominent agricultural technology company, offers irrigation equipment and employs teams of technicians who develop seeds for agriculture, including potato plants.
They utilize tissue culture, a set of techniques for cloning plants with desirable traits and eliminating disease.
This process involves cultivating small pieces of plant tissue in a controlled laboratory environment to produce virus-free plantlets, which can then be used to generate more seed potatoes through methods such as cuttings.
“Potato seeds destined for future seed production undergo meticulous breeding practices under the supervision of breeders,” says Vijay Singh, vice president of marketing at the company.
One challenge they are currently addressing involves a potato variety used for making chips. Farmers have observed that, by November, the potato crop begins to brown due to its sugar content.
“Companies like us who are into tissue culture are trying to come up with a new variety to overcome the challenges that the industry is facing,” says Mr Singh.
While Indian farmers are focused on improving their yields, further investment is needed in other areas of the frozen food industry.
Specifically, companies need to enhance their capacity to store and transport goods at sub-zero temperatures.
Although modern cold storage facilities have been constructed, a greater number are required.
“Only about 10–15% of India’s cold storage facilities are suitable for storing frozen foods,” notes Vijay Kumar Nayak, co-founder of Indo Agri Foods, an exporter of Indian food.
“These facilities are unevenly distributed, heavily concentrated in a few states, leaving rural and remote regions severely underserved.”
Transportation presents another challenge.
“There is a notable shortage of specialised refrigerated trucks and containers, making temperature-controlled transportation extremely difficult and increasing the risk of spoilage,” he explains.
A reliable electricity supply is also crucial.
“Frequent power outages in many parts of the country increase the chances of spoilage and make running a reliable frozen food supply chain a daunting task,” Mr Nayak states.
“Indian companies face intense competition in export markets from countries like China, Thailand and Brazil. These nations benefit from more advanced logistics, infrastructure, and production systems,” he observes.
Back at his farm in Gujarat, Mr. Patel is pleased with the arrival of the chip manufacturers.
“Gujarat has become a food processing hub. Most of the farmers, including me, have become contract farmers which gives us security and good money for our yield,” he concludes.
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