Taiwanese company carves out India niche selling premium seeds

Pune, India, March 24 (CNA) A Taiwanese company has carved out a niche selling seeds and growing know-how to capture 90 percent of the market for certain varieties of premium fruits and vegetables in India.

Kaohsiung-based Known-You Seed Co., which expanded its operations to India in 1999, is a supplier of papaya, watermelon, muskmelon, tomato, sweet pepper, chili, cucumber, and cauliflower in the country, company representatives told CNA in a recent interview.

Wang Chao-chieh (王昭傑), general manager of Known-You’s Indian subsidiary, said it has managed to promote premium produce in the country over the years through seed exports and joint grow operations with local farmers.

“While we also conduct trials on breeding regular types of vegetables and fruits, we are eyeing the high-end market,” Wang said.

For instance, Know-You’s “Red Lady” papaya holds a market share as high as 90 percent, while a variety of muskmelons called “Kundan” holds some 30 percent of the Indian market, Wang claimed.

The Indian subsidiary, which is based in Pune City in western India, has now grown to 150 employees, Wang said.

The company also has 10 smaller offices in key agricultural regions across India, according to Wang.

The subsidiary has entered into contracts with as many as 800 seed retail stores in India and expanded its operations with new facilities including laboratories, quality control, and research and development departments, Wang said.

In addition to boosting on-site production and establishing distribution hubs, Known-You is also carrying breeding programs to develop seeds of Indian varieties for customized services, said Wang, who has worked in the country since 2006.

It is hoped that further localization could reduce the communication time between the Indian branch and its mother company in Taiwan, enabling quicker responses to meet the needs of Indian farmers and customers, Wang said.