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A Story of Empowered Indian Mint Farmers: Mane Kancor’s Sustainable Initiatives for Mint Cultivation

Mint cultivation in India is primarily undertaken by small to medium-scale farmers, typically owning landholdings less than 2 hectares. It is predominantly grown in northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. In Uttar Pradesh, major mint-growing districts include Rampur, Moradabad, Badaun, and Bareilly. Most farmers belong to rural agrarian families and possess generational knowledge of farming.

The mint industry in India faces numerous challenges. As key stakeholders and primary producers in the mint value chain, farmers are significantly impacted by these difficulties. 

Major Challenges Faced by Mint Farmers:

Mane Kancor has been associated with the mint and menthol industry for over 25 years, bringing unparalleled expertise in mint and menthol manufacturing. The company has played a pivotal role in transforming the industry, notably pioneering the use of closed chambers for menthol manufacturing—ushering in a paradigm shift in the production of menthol crystals.

As a downstream player in the value chain, Mane Kancor has taken proactive steps to alleviate the challenges faced by mint growing farmers—mainly small-scale mint farmers. Through its sustainability and traceability programmes that started in 2018, the company selected mint as a focal crop for close farmer collaboration.

At present, Mane Kancor’s backward integration programme with mint spans over 550 villages in Badaun and Bareilly. The company engaged with local communities with a vision to empower farmers and ensure that interventions are self-sustaining in the long run. In partnership with the SAI (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative) Platform, more than 6,000 farmers have been certified under the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), covering over 16,000 acres—an exemplary model of elf-sustainable farmer empowerment.

Addressing Key Challenges

We work closely with government bodies, various institutions like KVKs, CIMAP, etc as well as agricultural universities and our focus is providing an ecosystem for the local farming community, where they themselves will enroll into these initiatives and participate with great enthusiasm. In response to water-related challenges, Mane Kancor has entered into a strategic partnership with CIMAP to introduce Early Mint Technology (EMT). This innovative agricultural practice diminishes water consumption by approximately 30% and concurrently reduces carbon emissions, thereby lowering the product’s carbon footprint.

The company also facilitates Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training for mint and other traditional crops, aiming to boost productivity, improve sustainability compliance, and encourage better farming techniques.

Soil testing is conducted across regions to assess nutrient deficiencies. Based on findings, tailored recommendations are shared with farmers to enhance plant health and productivity. There is an increasing adoption of organic and sustainable nutrient practices like vermicomposting, which contribute to improving soil health and texture, supporting long-term agricultural resilience. Integrated pest management (IPM) is promoted based on pest incidence. Trainings are provided to farmers through live demos on preparing zero cost natural bio pesticides as well.

Mane Kancor also promotes intercropping—for example, mint with crops like coriander, spinach, chillies to enhance land-use efficiency, diversify income, and disrupt pest cycles and Sesbania (locally known as Dhaincha) as a cover crop to suppress weed growth in inter row and improve soil fertility. This will improve biodiversity and also promote the population of natural predators of pests, thereby reducing the pesticide usage.

Agroforestry is another encouraged practice where farmers plant trees along field bunds. This approach supports environmental resilience, biodiversity, microclimate regulation, and offers alternative income sources for farmers.

We promote Relay cropping of mint in wheat fields before the wheat harvest, supporting regenerative agriculture by eliminating tillage, enhancing carbon sequestration through wheat stubble retention, and reducing fertiliser use and water usage, as mint benefits from the residual nutrients of the wheat crop and irrigation.

Farm-to-Fork Traceability

Farm-to-fork traceability is ensured through IT interventions under the Traceability Purchase Record System (TPRS), which captures detailed data on farmers, cultivation practices, input costs, distilled oil quantities, and oil delivered to collection agents. Field staff train farmers to maintain records and uphold traceability, while sustainable fields are geo-tagged and geo-fenced using satellite and remote sensing technologies. Mane Kancor’s collection centres further support transparency by offering fair pricing to mint farmers.

As part of the initiative to modernise traditional distillation practices, Mane Kancor collaborated with lead farmers to upgrade distillation units across key farming regions.

Improvements include modified condensers to prevent rust contamination, installation of cooling towers to enhance distillation efficiency, and the use of stainless steel (SS) oil separators for improved oil recovery and safety. These upgrades also enable water reuse, eliminate wastage, and reduce water requirements for distillation by approximately 50%. These efforts have led to a 15% increase in mint oil yield and significant quality enhancement. This is also achieved by partnering with local artisans, fostering empowerment and enabling the grassroots dissemination of knowledge.

Oil extraction residue is now reused as fuel, further contributing to sustainability. The company also conducted awareness campaigns on Safe Working Conditions in distillation units. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been distributed, and training sessions on safe practices are held regularly to minimise occupational hazards.

To reduce contamination, new food grade Jerry cans are provided for oil delivery to Mane Kancor’s collection centers. Mane Kancor strictly monitors all programmes to ensure compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles—upholding human rights, promoting fair labour practices, and ensuring decent working conditions across all certified operations. We sign a Code of Conduct with farmers, labourers, collection agents, and distillation unit owners to ensure the prohibition of child labour, promote gender inclusivity, and guarantee payment of minimum wages. Regular assessments and partner sensitisation are part of these efforts, to monitor adherence.

Mane Kancor thereby holistically strives to provide a sustainable and safe livelihood for all stakeholders in the mint value chain, making a meaningful difference in the lives of mint farmers.

Key Benefits of a Sustainable Mint Ecosystem: