Mahesh Patel

Mahesh Patel is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at EXPORT TRADING GROUP (ETG), a leading vertically-integrated agricultural supply chain manager operating in 30 African countries and over 40 countries globally.

ETG's operations encompass various aspects of the supply chain such as procurement, logistics, warehousing, processing, merchandising, transport, and distribution, connecting commodities from farm gate level to local economies and broader markets.

In FY2013, ETG procured and distributed over 3.2 million metric tonnes of 25 different commodities including cashews, pulses, sesame seeds, maize, fertiliser, rice, sugar, wheat, oilseeds, coffee, and tea, with 80% sourced from smallholder farmers.

With a workforce of more than 7,000 employees worldwide, ETG owns and operates 30 processing facilities and over 300 warehouses, facilitating the consolidation of smallholder farmers in the value chain for enhanced scale and efficiency.

ETG is committed to investing in downstream processing initiatives, infrastructure development in agriculturally productive regions, and integrating operations across its value chain to advance the African agricultural sector and uplift the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

By fostering strategic partnerships with governments, donors, research institutes, NGOs, and the private sector, ETG aims to leverage Africa's agricultural potential, boost smallholder farmers' incomes, and contribute towards poverty reduction by driving transformative initiatives in agriculture.