SRINAGAR: Qul FruitWall Farm Installations Pvt. Ltd. (QUL) and Koppert Biological Systems on Thursday announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the adoption of biological agriculture across North India and the Himalayan region, with plans to strengthen grower resilience, promote sustainable horticulture and develop a regional production hub for biological agricultural solutions.
The partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by QUL Founder and Chief Executive Officer Khuram Mir and Koppert Biological Systems Head for Asia Pacific Rob Rippens during a public event held in Srinagar.
According to the two organisations, the collaboration builds on more than three years of joint work involving field demonstrations, farmer outreach programmes and biological agriculture initiatives across the region.
A key component of the partnership is to establish a North India Centre of Production, which will expand local capabilities in biological agriculture and support the long-term development of sustainable horticulture systems tailored to regional conditions.
The two organisations said the initiative is rooted in a shared commitment to improving farmer livelihoods through scientific innovation, biological farming practices and sustainable management of natural resources.
Addressing the event, Khuram Mir said the future of Himalayan horticulture would depend not only on productivity but also on resilience in the face of emerging challenges.
“Farmers today face new realities, including climate variability, rising production costs, changing market requirements and increasing sustainability expectations. Through our partnership with Koppert, we are bringing together global expertise and local execution to create long-term value for growers and strengthen the foundations of horticulture across the region,” he said.
Mir said the partnership represented the next phase of a collaboration that began three years ago and had now evolved into a long-term strategic alliance.
“Together, we aim to build the capabilities, knowledge and innovation ecosystems that will support growers for generations to come,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Rob Rippens said Koppert had spent more than five decades helping growers worldwide improve productivity, quality and sustainability through biological agricultural solutions.
“We see tremendous potential in the Himalayan region and believe biological agriculture will play a critical role in addressing both the challenges and opportunities facing growers in the years ahead,” Rippens said.
He said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to innovation, farmer welfare and sustainable agricultural development.
“Together, we look forward to expanding access to biological solutions and creating meaningful impact across North India,” he added.
Under the partnership, the two organisations will focus on promoting biological crop protection technologies, pollination solutions, soil health improvement, regenerative agriculture practices, farmer education programmes and sustainable orchard management systems.
The initiative is expected to benefit growers across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and other horticulture-producing regions of North India by improving access to internationally tested biological technologies adapted to local climatic and agricultural conditions.
Officials said the collaboration also aligns with QUL’s broader vision of building an integrated horticulture ecosystem encompassing genetics, orchard development, sustainable production systems, infrastructure, market access and innovation.
With QUL’s regional presence and Koppert’s global expertise in biological agriculture, the partnership aims to contribute to a more productive, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable future for horticulture in the Himalayan region.
