2023
CII Excellence Award for Best FPO Market Linkage
Given for connecting Sham valley growers directly with buyers.
Leh, Ladakh · about 4,000 m
Sham Valley
CII Excellence Award 2023 · Best FPO Market Linkage
Ladakh apricots, growngradedpackedmarketed by the farmers who own them
Sham Valley Apricot Producer Cooperative brings together 563 tribal growers from 14 villages of the lower Indus. Together they sell fresh apricots, dried apricots and apricot oil from a cold desert 4,000 m above sea level.
Incubated and supported by
Tata TrustsHimmotthan SocietyMinistry of Tribal AffairsNABARDEXIM BankHDFCABFLIC-HFLStandard Chartered
Each year Sham valley's 45 villages grow 15,789 tonnes of apricots, but growers had no organised market. So they formed a cooperative and built the market themselves, from the orchard to an air-cargo hold.
Six seasons, 2020-21 to 2025-26
The cooperative at a glance
Hover over or tap any tile to explore the numbers. Every figure comes from the cooperative's own review, presented in Leh in April 2026.
Jullay, Sham valley
Six seasons of the cooperative at a glance.
Aggregate turnover
₹193.03 L
₹45.24 L in 2025-26
2020-21Turnover by year2025-26
Product lines 3
tap to switchHMS dependency
life cycle~80–90%
Years 0–3
Price to growers · 2025-26
Dried apricot
₹655/kg
Fresh apricot
—
Product mix
58% fresh
Members
Growing563
growers in 14 producer groups
Men 318Women 245
- Villages
- 14
- Since 2020-21
- +88%
- Biggest jump
- 2024-25
Members, 2020-21 → 2025-26
Source from membersNet profit
₹ lakh₹16 L+
since inception · ₹5.68 L in 2025-26
Fresh apricots marketed
MT per year24 MT
2025-26 · air-shipped from Leh
- Fresh, 6 seasons
- 95 MT
- Peak year
- 31 MT · 23-24
- Dried, 6 seasons
- 13.4 MT
Milestones
All impact →- CII Excellence AwardBest FPO Market LinkageAward2023
- Fresh apricots exportedMiddle East, Singapore, Vietnam, MauritiusExportsFresh
- 1981 quarantine documentedSRO 397 on fresh fruit movementPolicySRO 397
- Karkechu apple line added5 villages, upper Sham valleyNew lineLIC-HFL
Operating model
How the cooperative works
Three levels, each with clear jobs, so that every farmer gets a fair price for their harvest.
Grading & processing
Product grading and processing at the FPO centre.
Packaging & pricing
Packaging, labelling and pricing for every product line.
Branding & marketing
Selling under the cooperative's Jullay Ladakh label.
Business planning
Planning the season and the cooperative's finances.
Forward linkages
Connecting directly with buyers across India and abroad.
Apricot CoE
Running the Centre of Excellence for apricot.
Mobilise & train
Bringing farmers together and training them.
Product collection
Collecting produce from members in each village.
First-level grading
Initial sorting and grading before it reaches the FPO.
Input supply
Getting inputs to members on time.
Capacity building
Building skills within the group.
Information sharing
Passing on prices, practices and plans.
Harvesting
Picking apricots at the right ripeness.
Drying
Sun-drying fruit at home, the traditional way.
Supplying the FPO
Delivering produce through their group.
New technologies
Adopting better practices and tools.
Productivity
Getting more marketable fruit from each orchard.
Backward linkages
Staying connected to the inputs and support they need.
Value chain
From the orchard to the buyer
Fresh apricots go through a cold chain and leave by air. Dried apricots are collected, graded and packed under the cooperative's own brand.
1Orchard
Harvest & pack
Picked and packed into crates the same day.
2Road
To pre-cooling
Boxes go straight to the pre-cooling point.
3Cold chain
Pre-cooling
Field heat out fast for a longer shelf life.
4Market
Air shipment
Flown from Leh to buyers in India and overseas.
1Home
Sun-drying
Dried in the high-altitude sun by member families.
2FPO centre
Collect & store
Collected through producer groups and stored centrally.
3Quality
Sort & grade
Graded by size and quality for a fair price.
4Brand
Pack & brand
Sealed in Jullay Ladakh pouches, ready for sale.
Jullay Ladakh
Products from the high desert
Each product is graded and packed by members at their own centre. Open a product for pack sizes and details.
Recognition
Noticed beyond the valley
Exports
Ladakh apricots reach the Middle East, Singapore, Vietnam and Mauritius
Union Minister Piyush Goyal acknowledged the fresh apricot exports.
Source directly from Sham valley
Retailers, exporters, gifting partners and funders: tell us what you need and the cooperative will get back to you.