Modi launches 12 horticulture clusters from Banaskantha; Prime Fresh to run Nashik cluster

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from Banaskantha in Gujarat, launched the on-ground work of 12 sanctioned horticulture clusters across the country under the National Horticulture Board (NHB) 'Cluster Development Programme'. It is an ambitious initiative of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. Through these 12 clusters, 1.46 lakh hectares will be covered across the country and more than 1.3 lakh farmers will benefit directly.

Under the programme, Prime Fresh Limited has been chosen as the implementing agency to run the Nashik peri-urban vegetable cluster. The company is in the fresh fruits and vegetables supply chain business. A special event was held on October 30, 2026 at Nandur Shingote in Nashik district in this connection. Local farmers and other stakeholders there joined the national launch online. Earlier, on October 15, 2026, the company had signed a grant agreement with the National Horticulture Board.

According to the detailed project report, an investment of about Rs 124 crore is planned for the Nashik cluster development programme. It includes farmer-level activities as well as the construction of state-of-the-art infrastructure. An integrated agricultural system will be built linking production, aggregation, post-harvest management, cold chain, processing and organised markets.

On facilities, two collection and aggregation centres will be built, along with one integrated packhouse. Capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes of cold storage and 3,000 metric tonnes of frozen storage will be created. Farmers will get 14 farm-gate packhouses and 10 air-conditioned vehicles. Processing will include vegetable freezing, dehydration and value-addition facilities. On the technology side, a quality control system, digital traceability, farm-management technology and a farmer training centre will also be set up.

Under the project, farming activities will be carried out directly on 10,000 hectares. More than 11,000 farmers will get the benefit of modern technology and training. Prime Fresh will give farmers good-quality saplings, modern farming methods, direct market linkage and technical help. This will reduce wastage of farm produce and help growers get the right price. The target is to extend the network to more than 10,000 hectares and more than 11,000 farmers over the next two years. The cluster has the support of the National Horticulture Board, which comes under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

Hiren Gelani, director of Prime Fresh Limited, said the cluster development programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will strengthen the Indian agriculture sector. According to him, getting responsibility for the Nashik cluster is an important milestone for Prime Fresh. Gelani said the company's main aim is to raise farmers' incomes, curb wastage and make Indian farming globally competitive by providing modern technology, cold chain and direct market access.