Case study
From Grape Growers to a Raisin Processing Cluster
Grape growers in Vijayapura were selling fresh fruit into a volatile market. Organising them into a raisin processing cluster moved them up the value chain, into a product with shelf life and a wider buyer base.
What we found
- Growers were price-takers in a market where fresh grape prices swing sharply within a season.
- Without processing capacity, surplus fruit had no route to market and no shelf life.
- Individual farmers could not justify the capital cost of processing equipment on their own.
What we did
- Conceptualised the cluster and mobilised growers into a common processing unit.
- Ran awareness programmes so members understood what cluster membership required of them.
- Delivered technical training on raisin processing, grading and quality standards.
- Facilitated capacity building through visits to established processing facilities.
What is different now
- A functioning raisin processing cluster operating at Vijayapura.
- Growers now sell a processed product rather than raw fruit at the mercy of daily rates.
From the field
Photographs from the project
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