Contract Farming Companies in India (2026): Crop-wise List
Contract farming companies in India, crop by crop: potato, poultry, seeds, spices, gherkin, cotton, dairy, basmati, onion and herbs, with states and the public source for each fact. Plus how companies choose farmers and the red flags to check.
Contract Farming India Advisory Team
Advisory & Facilitation
On this page
Which companies do contract farming in India?
Companies with public contract or buy-back programmes in India include PepsiCo India and HyFun Foods (potato), Suguna and IB Group (broiler poultry), Kaveri Seed (seed production), Jain Irrigation (onion), Dabur (medicinal herbs) and gherkin exporters in Karnataka. The table below lists each one by crop, with states and the public source. Check current terms with the company.
Farmer, FPO or landowner who wants a contract?
Tell us your crop, acres and district. We take suitable farm groups to companies that are sourcing. Farmers and FPOs: send your details · Landowners: send your land details · WhatsApp us. We advise and facilitate; we cannot promise that a company will take your crop.
The contract-farming buyer landscape
Contract farming in India is driven by buyers who need a specific crop, grown a specific way, and cannot get it reliably from the open market. They fall into a few groups.
Food processors need produce to exact specifications. A chip maker needs potato varieties with the right dry matter; a dehydration plant needs high-solid onions. Processing-grade crops are among the most common contract crops for this reason.
Exporters need produce that meets the destination country's rules on residues, grading and traceability. Gherkins for pickling and organic cotton are two examples where growing is supervised under contract.
Integrators in poultry supply the chicks, feed and medicine, and the farmer raises the birds for a growing fee. See our guide to poultry contract farming.
FMCG and ayurveda companies source herbs, spices and grains and want backward linkage for supply security and traceability.
If you are new to the idea, start with contract farming explained.
Contract farming companies in India, crop by crop
Only facts we could find in a public source are listed, with the source and its date. "States" means where the source places the programme or the company. Numbers are as reported on that date and will have changed.
| Crop | Company | States / area | What the public record says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato (chips) | PepsiCo India | 14 states, including Uttar Pradesh | Works with about 36,000 farmers; sources all its chip-grade potatoes in India | PepsiCo India, reported by AgroSpectrum India, Sept 2026 |
| Potato (frozen fries) | HyFun Foods | Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh | Contract network of about 7,000 farmers; plans for 12,000–15,000 | The Hindu BusinessLine (via PotatoPro), March 2026 |
| Poultry (broiler) | Suguna Foods | 19 states; head office Coimbatore | Contracts with around 40,000 farmers; company supplies chicks, feed, medicine, vaccines | Asian Development Bank, ADB Brief No. 275, Nov 2023 |
| Poultry (broiler) | IB Group | Head office Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh; chicks sold in 22 states | Works with more than 21,000 contract farmers | Aviagen India press release, June 2024 |
| Seeds | Kaveri Seed Company | Several states; head office Secunderabad, Telangana | About 1 lakh production growers and 1,25,000 acres earmarked for seed production | Kaveri Seed Company Annual Report FY2023-24 |
| Spices (chilli, cumin, turmeric, coriander) | ITC (Agri Business) | Agri operations in 22 states | Describes itself as a preferred supply-chain partner for these spices; runs organic and crop-management programmes | ITC Annual Report 2024-25, reported by PTI, July 2025 |
| Gherkin | Global Green Company and other exporters | Tumkur district, Karnataka | Named as contracting companies in a study of gherkin contract growers | Indian Journal of Extension Education, Vol. 48 |
| Cotton (organic) | Pratibha Syntex, Maikaal bioRe, Appachi Cotton | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha | Began contract farming of organic cotton with farmers | Down To Earth, Feb 2013 |
| Dairy (milk) | Nestlé India | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan | Buys milk from around 100,000 farmers (a milk-collection programme, not a crop contract) | Nestlé India website, dairy farmers programme |
| Basmati rice | KRBL | Mills in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh | Moved from seed-and-buy-back contract farming to "contact farming" (advice, no buy-back); about 90,000 farmers | Outlook Business, 2017 |
| Fruit and veg (onion for dehydration) | Jain Irrigation Systems | Jalgaon, Maharashtra | Contract onion growing since 2001 with a minimum guaranteed price policy | FAO background paper (Punjabi and Mukherjee), 2015 |
| Herbs and medicinal plants | Dabur India | Several states, incl. Uttarakhand (Pantnagar greenhouse) | Close to 15,000 farmers on 15,000+ acres; planting material given, produce bought back on mutually agreed terms | Business Today, June 2026; Dabur Herbal Kingdom impact report, 2025 |
A few notes on the table:
- Dairy cooperatives such as Amul are owned by their farmer members. Selling milk to your cooperative is not contract farming in the usual sense, which is why they are not listed.
- Maize is widely bought by poultry-feed makers, but we did not find a named, documented company contract programme to cite, so it is left out for now.
- Crop guides: potatoes and processing vegetables, chillies and spices, cotton, basmati rice, maize and soybean, poultry and dairy and horticulture.
Notable players and what they illustrate
- PepsiCo India (potato) shows the classic processor model: a company-specified variety, field advice through the season, and buy-back at pre-agreed prices for chip-grade potatoes.
- HyFun Foods (potato) shows how a single-crop processor builds a dedicated farmer base around its plant and then extends into a second state. For potato growers, seed growers and processors, our potato contract farming guide explains how these contracts work and what to check.
- Suguna and IB Group (poultry) show the integrator model, where the company owns the birds and inputs and the farmer is paid a growing fee for raising them. Read how poultry contract farming works.
- KRBL (basmati) is a useful counter-example: the company says it moved away from contract farming with buy-back to advisory "contact farming", citing price swings in export markets.
- Dabur (herbs) shows buy-back used to secure rare raw material: the company supplies planting material and buys the harvest back on agreed terms.
about 7,000
farmers in HyFun Foods' potato contract network across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, with plans for 12,000–15,000 (a plan, not a result)
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, via PotatoPro, March 2026
The pattern across all of them: a clear crop need, a dedicated farmer base, technical support and a structured offtake. What varies, and what matters to a farmer, is how fair the written terms are.
How companies choose farmers
When a company's procurement team looks at a new area, these are the questions it usually asks.
- Acreage. Is there enough land, together, to fill a truck or a processing slot? A single small farm is hard to service; 50 or 100 acres in one block is easier.
- Water. Is there an assured source (canal, borewell, drip) through the crop's critical stages? Rainfed land suits fewer contract crops.
- Cluster. Are the farms close to each other and to a road, collection centre or plant? Field staff can only visit so many villages.
- FPO or group. Is there one body that signs, aggregates and is accountable? Companies prefer an FPO to hundreds of separate contracts.
- Records. Can you show past yields, spray records, soil tests and land papers? For export crops, a residue-free record often decides the deal.
- Track record. Have you supplied a buyer before, on time, without side-selling?
How to approach a company
- Know your offer. Write down the crop, variety, acres, district, water source, sowing window and the volume you can supply.
- Organise. Join or form a group or FPO so one body can sign and be accountable. Our farmer and FPO guide covers the steps.
- Find the active buyers. Ask the processors, exporters and integrators working in your district, the agriculture department and other growers which companies are contracting this season.
- Ask for the full written contract. Not a pamphlet, not a verbal promise.
- Check the law. Contract farming runs under state laws and APMC rules; the Model Contract Farming Act, 2018 is a template states can adopt. The central Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 was repealed by the Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021.
- Get it reviewed before you sign. Our contract review for farmers explains each clause in plain language.
If you own land but do not farm it yourself, see lease your farmland for the options.
Red-flag checklist
Walk away, or ask for changes, if you see any of these:
- No written contract, or a contract you are not allowed to take home and read.
- Price "as per market" with no formula, or a price that is only stated verbally.
- Quality and rejection rules that are vague, or testing done only by the buyer, with no right to be present or to a re-test.
- No payment date, or payment "after sale" with no deadline.
- Inputs you must buy from the company with no price list, deducted from your payment later.
- Any clause touching your land title: lease, mortgage or transfer of your land to the buyer. The Model Act, 2018 says the farmer's land cannot be transferred or mortgaged to the sponsor.
- No dispute route other than the company's own decision.
- Pressure to sign the same day, or an upfront "registration fee" to join a programme.
What this means for farmers and FPOs
The instinct to chase a big-name buyer is understandable, but size is not the same as fairness. Here's the more useful lens:
| Looks reassuring | What actually protects you |
|---|---|
| Big, well-known company | Clear, written quality standards |
| Promises of high prices | A transparent, agreed pricing basis |
| Quick to sign you up | Reasonable, stated payment timelines |
| Lots of farmers enrolled | A clear dispute-resolution path |
| Verbal assurances | Everything important in the written contract |
A credible buyer, big or small, welcomes scrutiny of the contract and explains the terms plainly. A buyer that pressures you to sign quickly, keeps the pricing vague, or won't put assurances in writing is showing you something important.
Want a company to contract your crop? Send your crop, acres and district and we will tell you honestly whether a sourcing company is likely to be interested. Already offered a contract? Our contract review helps you judge the terms. We advise and facilitate; we are not a party to any contract and do not guarantee buyers, prices or outcomes.
Contract Farming India (contractfarmingindia.com), an advisory service of Agpro Consulting Private Limited, New Delhi, helps companies, farmers/FPOs and landowners set up fair contract-farming and land-lease arrangements. Facts above are from the public sources named, as of October 2026. Company programmes change; verify current details with the company. General information, not legal or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies do contract farming in India?
Public sources show contract or buy-back programmes at PepsiCo India and HyFun Foods (potato), Suguna Foods and IB Group (broiler poultry), Kaveri Seed (seed production), Jain Irrigation (onion for dehydration), Dabur (medicinal herbs) and gherkin exporters in Karnataka, among others. Programmes, states and terms change, so check the current position with the company before you rely on any name. A listing on this page is not an endorsement.
How do I get a contract-farming agreement with a company?
Find out which companies buy your crop in your area, then approach them as a group, ideally through an FPO, with your acres, water source, past yields and a season plan. Companies prefer a cluster of farmers they can supervise together. Ask for the full written contract, read the price, quality, payment and rejection clauses, and get it reviewed before you sign.
Which companies do potato contract farming?
PepsiCo India works with about 36,000 farmers across 14 states and sources all its chip-grade potatoes in India (PepsiCo India, reported by AgroSpectrum India, September 2026). HyFun Foods, a frozen-potato processor, has a contract network of about 7,000 farmers in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (The Hindu BusinessLine, March 2026). Other processors also contract growers; ask in your district which buyers are active this season.
Do Dabur, ITC and PepsiCo do contract farming?
PepsiCo India runs a collaborative potato-farming programme with pre-agreed buy-back for chip-grade varieties. Dabur says it gives farmers planting material for medicinal herbs and buys the produce back on mutually agreed terms, and reported close to 15,000 farmers on more than 15,000 acres in June 2026 (Business Today). ITC’s agri business works with farmers and calls itself a preferred supply-chain partner for chilli, cumin, turmeric and coriander (ITC Annual Report 2024-25); we did not find a public description of its contract terms, so ask ITC directly.
Which is the best contract farming company in India?
We do not rank companies, and size alone does not tell you whether a deal is fair. The best buyer for you is one that buys your crop near you and offers clear written terms on price, quality testing, payment dates and disputes. Compare the actual contracts, not the brand names.
Is contract farming legal in India?
Yes. Contract farming runs under state laws and APMC rules, and the Centre’s Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services Act, 2018 is a template states can adopt. The central Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 was repealed by the Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021, so check your own state’s rules.
How do I check whether a buyer is credible?
Talk to farmers who have supplied the company for more than one season, and ask how rejections and late payments were handled. Check that the price basis, quality tests, payment dates and dispute route are written in the contract. A credible buyer explains its terms plainly and does not push you to sign the same day.
Written by
Contract Farming India Advisory Team
Advisory & Facilitation
Our advisory team works with companies, farmers and FPOs across India to design and facilitate fair, durable contract-farming arrangements. We write to inform honestly — never to over-promise.
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