Horticulture crops cover 7% of India's cropped area, and India is the second largest grower of fruits and vegetables worldwide. However, 30-40% of fruits and vegetables are lost post-harvest, valued at over 45,000-50,000 crore rupees. HOPCOMS was established to address this issue by providing farmers access to storage facilities, reducing reliance on middlemen, and ensuring reasonable prices for farmers and consumers. HOPCOMS now handles around 100 metric tonnes of produce daily through 313 retail outlets, supplies inputs to farmers, and had a turnover of 80 crore rupees in 2011-12.

3. • Horticulture crops – Fruits vegetables and flowers cover 7% of
cropped area of the country
• The Second Largest Grower of Fruits – 15% of World output
• The Second largest grower of Vegetables – 11% of World output
• Post Harvest wastage of fruits & vegetables – 30 to 40 % valued at
over Rs 45,000 - 50,000 crore
•Post harvest losses in India is more than consumption of same in UK

4. • Cold storage facility is available for only 10% produce which is
mainly occupied by potato.
• Farmer sells immediately due to perishability & absence of
proper infrastructure to keep it for longer period.
• To avoid the disaster of post harvest losses due to poor handling,
storage, distress sale, etc. HOPCOMS has come for the greater
rescue of farmers.
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5. • HOPCOMS was established with the principal objective of establishing
a proper system for the marketing of fruits and vegetables; one that
benefits both the farming community and the consumers.
• Farmers before this, were in the clutches of the middlemen and the
system benefited neither the farmers nor the consumers.

6. History of HOPCOMS
• First, the Bangalore Grape Growers’ Marketing and Processing
Co-operative Society was established in 1959, under the
guidance of Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda, the then Director of the
Department of Horticulture.
• The main objective of the society was to encourage grapevine
cultivation by providing necessary inputs, technical know-how
and marketing facilities to grape farmers.

7. • It had jurisdiction over Bangalore, Kolar, Mysore, Tumkur, Mandya and
Mangalore districts.
• Since grape was a seasonal fruit, the society started handling all fruits
and vegetables from 1965. Due to this change in operations, the name
of the society was changed into Horticultural Producers Co-operative
Marketing and Processing Society Ltd.
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8. •The operation of the society covers five districts - Bangalore Urban,
Bangalore Rural, Kolar, Ramanagar and Chikkaballapura Districts.

9. • To ensure remunerative prices to producers of horticultural crops.
• To free both consumers and producers from the clutches of
middleman.
• To ensure quality supply of fruits and vegetables at reasonable
prices to consumers.

10. • To expand marketing and cold storage facilities progressively for
the benefit of farmers.
• To promote development of horticulture on scientific lines by
providing necessary inputs and technical advice.
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11. •The Society has 16,703 members with a paid-up share capital of Rs.
265.40 lakh as on March, 2012.

12. •HOPCOMS is being run under the aegis of the State Department of Horticulture,
managed by a Board consisting of 20 members. Among them, eleven members are
elected from among the producers, five members are government nominees and four
members are government officers. The President and Vice President are elected from
among the elected producers. The Managing Director is an officer of the Horticulture
Department, whose services are lent to the Society.
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13. • Presently, HOPCOMS handles around 100 metric tonnes of fruits and
vegetables every day.
• The member farmers bring their produce to the Society, where the
produce is graded, weighed and the payment is made to the farmers
immediately.
• To help the growers for transporting the produce, the Society has
procurement centres in major supply areas namely Sarjapura,
Channapatna, Hosakote and Kanakapura.

14. • The procured fruits and vegetables are supplied to consumers through the
Society’s retail outlets in Bangalore, Kolar and Tumkur. Presently, HOPCOMS
has 313 retail outlets which provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the
consumers.
•The Society has also taken the lead in supplying quality vegetables and
fruits to all the Government Hospitals, Hostels, Major Factories, Clubs etc. It
also undertakes bulk supplies to marriages and other social functions
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15. HOPCOMS also prepares and sells fresh juices such as Blue Grape, Mango,
Orange etc. and selling the same to the general public at Rs. 10-00 per bottle.
HOPCOMS supplies inputs such as manures and fertilizers, plant protection
chemicals, Gibberelic Acid, Secateurs etc. to the growers at reasonable rates.
During the year 2011-12, the Society’s total turnover was Rs. 80 Crore 12
Lakh.
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16. • To strengthen and expand the activities of HOPCOMS, different
Zilla Parishaths have provided Rs. 11.57 lakh.
• For various development porgrammes, National Horticultural
Board has provided Rs. 28.18 lakh as grant and Rs. 1.08 lakh as
loan. The entire amount has been utilized to strengthen and
develop HOPCOMS. The loan amount has been repaid.

17. • NCDC sanctioned a project for Rs. 448 lakh to expand the activities of
HOPCOMS by opening Central Godowns, Procurement Centres, Retail
Outlets, Processing Units and for purchase of Transport Vehicles.
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18. •Victoria Hospital
•Leprosorium Hospital
•Minto Hospital
•NIMHANS
•ESI
•Bowring Hospital
•Government TB Hospital
•K.C. General Hospital
•Kidwai Hospital
•S.D.S. TB Hospital
•Sanjaya Gandhi Hospital
•SJIIM Hospital

19. •Bangalore Dairy
•ITI
•BEL
•HMT
•MICO
•Himalaya Drugs
•BEML
•KAVIKA
•L&T
•AMCO Batteries
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20. • Opening of 100 new modern retail outlets.
• Complete Computerization and Installation of Digital Scales
in the outlets and godowns under R.K.V.Y Scheme.
• Upgradation of existing retail outlets.
• Construction of High Tech Walk-In Super Market.
• Opening of Procurement Centres around Bangalore Satellite
Centres.
• Opening of Modern Processing Unit.

21. www.hopcoms.kar.nic.in
Reference