Coca-Cola India & Indo-Dutch Horticulture celebrate Project Unnati Apple’s success in Uttarakhand

New Delhi: The Coca-Cola India Foundation and Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies have celebrated the successful outcomes of their Project Unnati Apple initiative in Champawat, Uttarakhand. This project, launched to advance sustainable agriculture, saw ten local farmers being recognized for their dedication to innovative farming practices.

The event was graced by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, virtually, who praised the initiative’s success. He noted, “It is extraordinary that the apple orchards have bore fruit in just 20 months. Such initiatives not only contribute to the growth of the farmers but can possibly help reverse the problem of migration in the state. I urge the Coca-Cola India Foundation to continue contributing to apple production while diversifying into the production of other fruits to realize the vision of Adarsh Champawat and Adarsh Uttarakhand.”

The initiative provided over 250 apple saplings to local farmers, who have seen each tree yield more than 5 kilograms of fruit in under two years. This success paves the way for exploring additional fruit cultivation in the area, contributing to Champawat’s goal of becoming a significant agricultural hub.

Rajiv Gupta, Director of The Coca-Cola India Foundation, highlighted, “The success of Project Unnati Apple underscores our commitment to empowering farming communities through sustainable practices. Part of our larger Fruit Circular Economy Initiative, this project aims to uplift farmers by tackling challenges such as poor technology adoption and low productivity. By providing advanced horticulture solutions, we are not only enhancing farmers’ livelihoods and contributing to the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision but also driving economic prosperity through improved crop outputs.”

Sudhir Chaddha, Director of Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies, added, “Project Unnati Apple has revolutionized apple farming in Uttarakhand, making farmers ‘Atma-nirbhar’ through innovative agricultural practices. This successful initiative, a joint effort by our company and Coca-Cola India Foundation, has enhanced apple productivity and yield in the state and reaffirming our commitment to sustainable development.”

Other dignitaries such as Rajiv Gupta, Director, Coca-Cola India Foundation, Suresh Joshi, Spokesperson BJP, Jyoti Rai, Chairman, District Council Champawat, Prakash Tiwari, Representative CM, Nirmal Mehra, President, BJP Champawat, Navneet Pandey, District Magistrate, Rekha Devi, Block Pramukh, Champawat, and Sudhir Chadha, Director, Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies attended the ceremony in-person.