About us
SKC Surat & Co Ltd has been the trusted partner of Mauritians for fresh fruits and vegetables for thirty years. Our extensive network of local and foreign growers ensures a wide range of product supply all year round. Our collective skills and experience in the industry ensure that we secure the best possible prices and quality, which we pass on to our clients. Our diversified network of clients includes wholesalers, hotels, supermarkets, wet markets, and more, demonstrating our capability to cater for different client requirements within our wide market coverage.
Our modern processing and storage facilities guarantee the freshness and safety of our products. As an HACCP-certified organization, we are committed to providing consumers with the best products on their plates every day.
It all started in the late 50s when the founder and patriarch, the late Sooklall Surat, began the retail of imported fruits and vegetables. He was joined in the family business by his son Shyam Surat, who is the current chairman of the Group. Under his leadership, the group has evolved from those modest origins into a business of more than 300 people, generating an annual turnover in excess of MUR 1 Billion.
Key milestones reached during this journey were:
- 1960s: Implementation of a distribution network around the island.
- 1970s: Import of fruits and the construction of the first cold room.
- 1980s: Further investment in storage facilities and logistics. The business was incorporated as SKC Surat & Co Ltd in 1985.
- 1990s: Import from South Africa following the abolition of trade restrictions. Regional expansion in Reunion Island with the opening of SKC Fruits Reunion
- 21st Century:
Further expansion and acquisition of new resources.
A whole range of new projects materialized:- Agreement reached with Reunion farmers for regular exchange with their Mauritian counterparts and capacity building to improve agricultural techniques and more efficient field and crop management.
- Opening of our new distribution centre at Wooton in 2005.
- The company invested upstream in greenhouses, with the first crops harvested early in 2014.
- The company became HACCP certified in 2014.
- Launch of our ‘AtoZ Fruit & Veg’ brand in 2016, now a trusted consumer name sold in all retail outlets across the island.
- 2017: Materialization of the local cultivation of fruits and vegetables using Good Agricultural Practices (MauriGAP/SKC SAFER) by our pool of 75+ growers.
- 2024: Launch of our large-scale Banana project in collaboration with a few major contract growers.
Mission:
To remain the undisputed market leader in the industry while offering services of the highest environmental and social standards.
Vision:
To contribute towards a Healthy Mauritius by distributing quality products at affordable prices and maximizing returns for all our stakeholders.
