To roll out globally acclaimed Strella and Rubens Technologies in India to curb post-harvest wastage and boost farmer profitability

Tropical Agrosystem (India) Ltd., India’s largest homegrown crop management company, today announced a transformative farm-tech suite that leverages data analytics and advanced technology to minimise post-harvest fruit losses, preserve product quality, and boost farmer incomes.

In a strategic partnership with AgroFreshTM Solutions Inc., a global leader in post-harvest freshness and quality solutions, Tropical Agro is bringing two globally acclaimed innovations—Strella and Rubens—to the Indian market after the successful launch of SmartFresh and SmartFresh InBox. The introduction of these technologies comes at a critical juncture, as post-harvest wastage remains a persistent challenge for India’s agricultural sector.

A 2020–2022 study by NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) estimated annual fruit losses in India at 7.36 million tonnes, with wastage ranging from 6.02 per cent to 15.05 per cent. The resulting economic loss is pegged at approximately Rs 29,500 crore. Apples alone witness a post-harvest loss of around 9.51 per cent, as per NABCONS data, and an earlier ICAR-CIPHET report placed this figure even higher at 10.39 per cent.

Key reasons for such losses include fruit dropping during harvesting, improper handling, lack of scientific post-harvest practices, and over-ripening—underscoring a serious gap in monitoring infrastructure and advanced harvest maturity tools.

To address these gaps, Tropical Agro is rolling out Strella and Rubens, both seamlessly integrated with AgroFresh’s FreshCloud, a digital platform that captures real-time data to inform better post-harvest decisions of produce condition from orchard to packhouse, shipping and beyond – across the supply chain.

“Tropical Agro sees significant growth potential in India’s post-harvest segment, which will remain a key strategic focus for the company,” said V. K. Jhaver, Founder of Tropical Agrosystem (India) Ltd.

“Given the complexities of India’s supply chain and the resulting food wastage, Strella and Rubens offer ideal solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, maintain product quality, and improve grower profitability. We look forward to introducing more such innovations in the future.”

“This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable, tech-driven solutions that benefit the entire agri value chain—from farm to consumer,” added K. Venkatasubramanian, General Manager – Post Harvest Business, Tropical Agrosystem (India) Pvt. Ltd. “Our focus is on reducing post-harvest losses—particularly in apples—preserving quality, and enabling smarter, data-led decision-making across the agricultural ecosystem.”