From Farms to Global Plates: HyFun Foods Leads French Fries Exports with Farmer Partnerships

Tulsibhai, a farmer from Mota Kotra village in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, cultivates potatoes on 13 acres of land, yielding 13 tons per acre. Selling his produce at ₹13.50 per kg, he earns a 25% profit even after covering all expenses, which translates to over ₹45,000 per acre in just 100-110 days crop.

Around 7,500 farmers like Tulsibhai are engaged in potato farming across Gujarat’s Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, and Mehsana districts, with some also in Madhya Pradesh’s Malwa region, including Dewas and Ujjain. They benefit from contract farming with HyFun Foods, a potato processing company that turns high-quality Santana variety potatoes into French fries, hash browns, flakes, and chips for export.

Since its inception in 2015 with 500 farmers, HyFun Foods has grown to become India’s largest exporter of frozen French fries, supplying 40 countries. Interestingly, frozen French fries were first imported into India in 1992 by the American company Lamb Weston, followed by Canada’s McCain Foods for McDonald's supply. However, India has now emerged as a key global exporter of French fries, exporting over 100,000 tons annually, valued at approximately ₹1,500 crore. HyFun Foods holds the largest market share.

From Potato Trading to Global Exporter

HyFun Foods’ Managing Director & CEO, Haresh Karamchandani, has an inspiring journey in potato processing and exports. Speaking to Rural Voice, he shared that his family was in the traditional potato trading business, but he wanted to do something different. Initially considering multiplex chains and auto dealerships, he eventually decided to stay in the family business but with a new approach.

Realizing that neither farmers nor traders were making significant profits, he studied the industry in-depth, attended global food fairs, and in 2010, committed to potato processing. By 2015, HyFun Foods set up its first processing plant in Mehsana, Gujarat, importing state-of-the-art European machinery with a production capacity of 26 tons per hour for frozen French fries and 4 tons per hour for hash browns.

The Challenge of the Right Potato Variety

One major hurdle was sourcing the right potato variety, as 95% of potatoes grown in India are table potatoes, unsuitable for processing due to their low dry matter content (15-16%), high sugar levels, and small size. Processing potatoes require 20-23% dry matter. To overcome this, HyFun imported Santana and other varieties from the Netherlands, acquired legal cultivation rights (IPR), and pays royalties to European firms. These potatoes are now grown in India through contract farming.

HyFarm Pathshala Project

HyFun started contract farming with 500 farmers in 2015-16, which has now expanded to 7,500. According to Mohammed Arif, HyFun's COO (Supply Chain Management), the company provides farmers with high-quality seeds, guidance on best farming practices, and support via an app. The HyFarm Pathshala project offers real-time advice, helping farmers optimize fertilizers, irrigation, and overall yield. HyFun directly purchases their produce and ensures prompt payments.

Higher Yields & Water Conservation

In Banaskantha, where HyFun's contract farmers operate, potato harvesting is in full swing. Farmers who initially contracted at ₹5 per kg now receive ₹13.50 per kg. HyFun’s agronomists assist them in adopting efficient techniques, including irrigation scheduling via the app.

Arif notes that all contracted farmers use mini sprinklers and drip irrigation, saving 25% water. They also plant potatoes in wider 48-inch beds instead of the traditional 30-inch spacing, which allows Santana potatoes—known for growing outward rather than downward—to develop better, increasing yield from 11 to 13 tons per hectare.

Advanced Storage & Supply Chain

HyFun directly transports harvested potatoes to cold storage facilities. The company uses bulk chamber storage, where cooling tunnels maintain optimal conditions for long-term storage. With a storage capacity of 1,500-2,000 tons, these facilities preserve potatoes for 8-9 months, ensuring year-round supply for processing.

Seed-to-Shelf Model

Though Gujarat produces only 7.5% of India’s potatoes, over 90% of the country’s processing-grade potatoes are grown there due to its favorable climate. HyFun follows a Seed-to-Shelf model, beginning with Generation Zero (G-0) germplasm sourced from the Netherlands. These seeds undergo controlled farming to produce G-1, then G-2 through contract farming, and finally G-3 for commercial cultivation.

Seed production is outsourced to Punjab through contract farming due to its suitable climate and larger farm sizes. From there, seed potatoes are distributed to HyFun's contracted farmers, following a five-year cycle. The company is also exploring aquaponic and hydroponic techniques for early-stage seed production.

80% of Production Goes to Export

HyFun exports 80% of its processed products to Europe, the US, the Middle East, Japan, Korea, and other Asian markets, supplying major chains like Burger King and KFC. In 2022-23, India exported 135,877 tons of French fries worth ₹1,478.73 crore. From April-December 2024, 106,506 tons worth ₹1,056.92 crore were exported. Last year, HyFun exported 85,000 tons of French fries and 8,000 tons of hash browns.

Focus on Quality & Future Plans

Haresh recalls HyFun’s first export order to Thailand, which was rejected, prompting the company to refine its processes. Now, HyFun adheres to world-class quality standards, fueling its export growth.

With climate change affecting potato yields in Europe and land availability becoming a constraint, global markets are increasingly looking to India as a reliable supplier of frozen French fries and potato products.

By 2027, HyFun plans to invest ₹1,000 crore to expand its frozen French fries production capacity by 20 tons per hour and hash brown production by 4 tons per hour. The company also works with Dutch firms such as HZPC and Meijer, alongside India’s Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), using varieties like Kufri Frysona and Kufri FryoM.

HyFun is also expanding contract farming to Madhya Pradesh’s Malwa region and Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district, with operations in MP already underway and UP expected to start next season.