Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd is betting big on protected farming and aquaculture to boost the country’s rural economy, thereby benefitting both farmers and fisher-folk.

India has lot of opportunities to carry out protected cultivation in horticulture, floriculture, growing fruits, etc, which is abysmally low at 0.5 per cent acerage compared to 65-70 per cent in Israel, Spain, Holland and other European countries, Shujaul Rehman, President and COO of the Pune based company said.

“A shift towards protected farming methods will have a direct impact on increasing the GDP and improving farmers’ per capita income. However, the need of the hour is to create awareness among farmers on this method,” he said.

The ₹800-crore company is catering to the needs of the agriculture sector by supplying net cords, ropes, etc for protected cultivation, horticulture, post-harvest technology and other yield improving applications.

“We are looking at one-to-one contact with the farming community to convince them on the prospects of moving towards this farming model to fetch better returns. The government subsidy schemes are also likely to act as a major boost for protected cultivation in the country,” he said.

Likewise, he pointed out that fishing activities through aquaculture will also provide a major boost to the fishery sector in improving the catch and income.

Rehman, who was in Kochi for an official trip, told BusinessLine that the usage of marine aqua cages for fish farming activities is still at a nascent stage here compared to European countries. “Today majority of the fishing in the country has been through wild catch. The shift towards cage farming methods will be the next big leap in the fishery sector,” he added.

The company’s aquaculture cages and other equipments are widely used by fishery companies in the US, Canada and Europe. However, it will take time to implement such innovative fishing methods in India, he said, adding that nodal agencies such as Mpeda and fisheries departments have a major role in popularising such technological innovations.

With more than 50 per cent growth coming from export revenues, the company is looking at strengthening its presence in aquaculture, agriculture and defence segments for domestic markets.

Garware-Wall Ropes, which has a strong presence in more than 72 countries, is expected to be a ₹1,000 crore entity in the next two years.

“We expect the growth will come from North America and Mediterranean regions apart from healthy growth in domestic market,” he said.

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