Maharashtra woman builds vegetable-drying business; clocks Rs3 lakh monthly turnover

For almost two decades, Vandana Prabhakar Patil from Jalgaon in Maharashtra worked with women self-help groups (SHGs). They made pickles, snacks and ground spices, sold locally and in nearby areas.

“Almost everyone was preparing and selling the same products. The demand was stagnant, and so was production. There was no differentiation in the products of the SHGs. That is when I decided to do something different,” Vandana tells 30Stades.

In 2021, she visited the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Mamurabad, Jalgaon, and learned about vegetable and fruit dehydration to turn them into powder or flakes. Solar drying increases their shelf life and reduces weight without affecting the nutritional value. 

“I took training in vegetable dehydration in 2021 and applied for a business loan to start a unit,” she says.

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The growing market for solar-dried foods

During the training at KVK, Vandana realised that solar drying could address the problems of hundreds of farmers in and around her Palaskheda village. “The farmers face the problem of low market rates when the production is good. There is also no consistency in the rates. With zero negotiation power, they are forced to sell at the price quoted by wholesalers. Vegetable dehydration addresses this problem,” she says.

India’s dehydrated fruits and vegetables market was estimated at 1.94 billion dollars (Rs 17,200 crore) in 2023 and is expected to more than double to 4.2 billion dollars (Rs 37,200 crore) by 2035, according to a study by Market Research Future. 

The demand for dehydrated vegetables and fruits is driven by the growing preference for convenience foods, as they are easy to store and prepare while retaining essential nutrients. Increasing health consciousness and government measures are supporting the sector.

How to set up a solar drying unit

To start her unit, Vandana applied for a business loan, but her application was rejected. She then took a personal loan of Rs 10 lakh. Under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme in Maharashtra, micro-enterprises can receive a subsidy of 35 percent of the eligible project cost. 

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“I received a subsidy of Rs 1,81,000. The investment went towards setting up a solar dehydration unit with polycarbonate, buying a pulveriser, a cutting machine and putting up a packaging system. The unit became functional in November 2022,” says Vandana, now 50.

She opted for a tunnel-shaped solar dehydration unit with transparent polycarbonate. It traps solar radiation and heats the air inside, creating a greenhouse effect. 

The heated air circulates through the tunnel, drying products placed on trays or racks by removing moisture. “Exhaust fans at the other end allow moist air to escape,” says Vandana.

Today, she dries moringa and curry leaves, beetroot, tomato, onion, lemon and other vegetables and then turns them into powders or flakes. The vegetables are cleaned, washed, and cut before solar drying.

The products of Gayatri Foods are sold to wholesalers and under her own brand, ‘Breakfast Foods’. “Our dehydrated vegetables also reach the US, Maldives, and Canada through resellers and wholesalers,” she says.

Pricing and turnover

Vandana says one kg of dehydrated tomato retails for Rs 700 per kg, while beetroot is priced at Rs 100 for 100g and Rs 700 for a kg in wholesale. For onions, it ranges between Rs500 and Rs600 per kg. “The prices also fluctuate depending on market rates for the fresh produce,” she says.

The average monthly turnover is Rs 3 lakh. “Exhibitions can sometimes result in Rs 8-10 lakh turnover in just two to three days,” the rural woman entrepreneur says.

“I have already repaid the bank loan,” says Vandana, who has received many awards for her work. She is now planning to expand the unit and increase capacity to service export orders.

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Vandana’s family intercrops moringa with lemon over five acres in her village. “I dehydrate both of them. I buy other vegetables from local farmers, who now don’t have to go to mandi with the produce,” she adds.

In case of any vegetable shortfall, she buys them from the wholesale market for agri-drying.  

The price of a kg of dehydrated tomato is around Rs700 because 22 kg of fresh tomatoes yield 1 kg of dehydrated produce. “About 4 kg of fresh curry and moringa leaves yield 1kg of powder, and 10kg of beetroot and ginger yield 2.5 kg to 3 kg in the dried form. That is why the prices of dehydrated products are higher. You can add packaging and transportation cost as well,” Vandana points out. About 10 kg of fresh onion yields 2.5 kg in the dehydrated form. 

“Electric drying changes the colour of the vegetables. Since our veggies are dried naturally through solar energy, their colour and quality remain unchanged,” says Vandana, who is the chairman of 23 women SHGs in Jalgaon.

She employs 15 women at her unit, providing them with stable employment opportunities. “Women empowering women is a concept close to my heart. I am glad I can support other women and also farmers,” Vandana adds.

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture)

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