Success in High Value Horticultural Export Markets for the Small Farmers: The Case of Mahagrapes in India

Summary In spite of being the second largest horticultural producer in the world, India is a failed exporter mainly because of the inability to meet the food safety standards. Hence, successes in horticultural exports are rare. Here, we study one unique success story, Mahagrapes, a marketing partner to farmer cooperatives attributing its success to a combination of collective action and public private partnerships. Our results indicate that Mahagrapes farmers earn significantly higher income vis-à-vis their outside marketing option and smallholders face no bias in selection. Together with the farmer's ability to consistently meet standards, this implies that the model can be scaled up.