METRO Cash & Carry opens its first collection center in North India to directly source from Farmers

• The new collection center is the sixth such center for METRO in India and will cater to six of its wholesale stores in the North.
• As part of its DIRECT FARM Programme, the collection center will benefit over 200 farmers in the region.

Chandigarh 30th April 2018: METRO Cash & Carry, India’s leading organized wholesale and food specialist has opened its first collection center in North of India to procure produce of fresh Fruits and Vegetables directly from the local farmers. The new collection center will support and supply fresh produce to the six METRO Wholesale stores in North India located at Zirakpur, Amritsar, Jalandhar including two stores in Delhi, and the recently opened METRO outlet in Meerut. Spread across 2000 square feet at Sanoli Khurd in Panipat, the Collection Center is slated to directly benefit over 200 native farmers from across 25 villages in Panjeeth, Ramra, Tamshabad, Sanoli, Mohhamadpur, Kandla, Kairana, Nimbari, Chhajpur, Ugrakheri.

The new collection center is the sixth such center for METRO Cash & Carry in India. As part of its ‘DIRECT FARM’ Programme, the Collection Center enables farmers to sell their daily produce of fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits directly without any intervention of intermediaries at transparent pricing, and eventually helps eliminating wastage and loss.

Commenting on the opening which reiterates the company’s commitment to sustainable growth, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, Managing Director & CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India, said “As one of the leading farm to fork wholesalers in India, METRO firmly believes that we offer the best prices, fair transactions and immediate payment to the farmers – all three which are unbeatable value propositions for farmers. Our Direct Farm programme supports the sustainable production of high-quality fruits and vegetables, eliminates the process of a farmer’s produce being exchanged through many hands. This ensures fresh quality produce reaches the end consumer on a sustained basis.

Our new collection center at Panipat will thus aid local farmers to sell their produce at fair pricing devoid of middlemen. We are committed to offering significant growth for the benefit of the local farming community everywhere we operate. With our Direct Farm programme constantly expanding, we are well on our way to boost the goal of the Government to double the income of the farmer by 2020 – strengthening the agrarian eco-system of India.”

As part of the program, METRO also conducts training programs for farmers at regular intervals covering wide range of topics leveraging in-house and external agricultural experts. The program also includes intervention such as trainings on production enhancement, farming techniques, quality improvement, optimum pesticide usage, soil nutrition and management and post-harvest techniques. The DIRECT FARM program is an ongoing initiative by METRO that has positively impacted approximately 5000 registered farmers across the country. Through the Farmers’ collection centers, METRO sources fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers that help them fetch good price for their produce. The direct sourcing from farm benefits local farmers in reducing their transportation costs. It also eliminates middlemen and their commissions which impact their gains considerably.

About METRO Cash & Carry

METRO Cash & Carry operates in 25 countries over 750 wholesale markets with about 108,000 employees worldwide. In financial year 2016/17 it generated sales of about €30 billion. METRO Cash & Carry is the wholesale division of METRO, a leading international specialist in wholesale and food retail. The company METRO operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2016/17, METRO generated sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers.

METRO Cash & Carry entered the Indian market in 2003. The company currently operates twenty-five wholesale distribution centers under the brand METRO Wholesale including six in Bangalore, four in Hyderabad, two each in Mumbai and Delhi, and one each in Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, Amritsar, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow and Meerut.

For further information contact : press@metro.co.in