ABCA, subsidiary of AB Agri, to focus on supplying feed producers in India-[Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-The Name stands for Refrigerated Truck]

ABCA, a subsidiary of AB Agri, and part of Associated British Foods, has said it will focus on supplying poultry and feed producers in India. The company is aiming at introducing itself to the Indian market.

David Yiend, chief executive, AB Agri, commented: "AB Agri is a balanced diversified business operating in many parts of the food chain from plough to plate - supplying its products across 70 countries. ABCA’s entry into the Indian market is another great milestone for us providing feed manufacturers and livestock farmers with safe and sustainable solutions to enhance animal performance and produce safe and high quality food products." 

James Charteris-Hough, MD, ABCA, added: "ABCA aspires to become a preferred choice in the area of innovative yeast derivative products for Indian animal nutrition and health industries. We plan to build a high reputation within the industry in South Asia and help deliver long-term benefits through a personable approach to business." 

Dr Romila Iyer, business manager, South Asia, ABCA, said: "At ABCA, we plan to establish well-balanced portfolio of innovative products / solution and introducing value-added products to animal production and feed-market, coupled with our resolute focus on customer’s needs, will be the cornerstone for our marketing strategy. ABCA will associate closely with the entire media of India livestock industry."

In India, ABCA will initially focus on working with industry players to identify opportunities to supply new innovative products to the market on an import basis. This will involve working with existing ABF businesses in India such as AB Mauri who will help drive this development. The company said that there will be a need to invest in some India-based R&D as time goes on and in the future possibly more specialist production, warehousing and distribution networks locally.

-[Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-The Name stands for Refrigerated Truck]

Friday, December 07, 2012 IST  Our Bureau, Mumbai

Iran keen to boost agri trade; Seeks Indian processed food investments -[Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration - Name that stands for Refrigerated Truck]

Gholam Reza Ansari, Iran’s ambassador to India, stated that the two countries are seeking trade opportunities in agriculture. In Bengaluru recently at the invitation at the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce (FKCCI), he added that the Indian food processing industry could invest in and enter joint ventures in Iran. The ambassador said that the diversification of trade was another measure to accelerate the growth of trade.

Agriculture 
Iran has been exporting dry fruit, fresh fruit and saffron to India, but would like to increase its agricultural produce exports to the country, which Ansari described as a huge market in terms of opportunities. He added, “We depend on India for basmati rice, wheat, sugar, processed meat, cattle feed and soya produce.”  

Trade between the two countries has increased substantially. In 2011-12, it was recorded at $13,421.17 million. Between April and December the following year, exports stood at $2,063 million and imports at $8,524.89 million. This year, is expected to cross the $20-billion-mark, up from last year’s $15 billion. 

Challenges
FKCCI officials stated that the fact that a number of industries from India exported to Iran, but added that there were logistic issues that were hindering trading. Another roadblock is the fact that just one bank (UCO Bank) facilitates all the monetary transactions. Opening multiple bank accounts to enable quicker transactions was the need of the hour.   

Oil
Ansari said that while imports from India continued to be dominated by oil, there were immense prospects to boost non-oil exports to India, and that was where fruit and other agricultural commodities were seen as potential trade areas. 

“However, the import of non-oil commodities is difficult. For instance, a courier service cannot be used for the exchange of all kinds of product samples exchange. But, now the governments of the two countries are in talks and will come to a practical and logical solution shortly,” he said.

-[Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration - Name that stands for Refrigerated Truck]

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 IST  Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru

Fruits, vegetables to get cheaper in Mumbai?

State likely to exclude them from APMCs' ambit so that farmers can sell directly to consumers.

Imagine getting fruits and vegetables like mangoes, oranges, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and leafy vegetables at lower rates in this era of inflation. This may turn into a reality with the state government due to exclude fruits, vegetables, condiments and processed items like pulses, dry fruits and edible oil from the ambit of the agricultural produce market committees (APMCs).

This will mean that farmers can sell to consumers directly, bypassing intermediaries, thus reducing rates, ensuring remunerative prices for farmers and lowering wastage in the distribution chain.

However, skeptics point to the sniping between the Congress and the NCP (which controls most of the significant 305 APMCs) as having the potential to delay these marketing reforms in an election year. Critics like traders say that while the state is seeking to bypass APMCs, no alternative distribution systems are available for agriculturists.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had asked Congress-ruled states to allow farmers to sell their produce to consumers bypassing APMCs to stem price rise. Despite the APMC act being amended in 2006 to allow direct and private marketing, contract farming, public private partnership (PPP) and single licence for the entire state, these reforms have been slow-starters.

State agriculture and marketing minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told dna that they had finalised an order to delist around 43 commodities. He however added that it had been put on hold till a meeting was held with stakeholders like largely NCP-controlled mathadi (head load workers) unions and traders, who are objecting to the move. Another order to delist processed foods is expected with plans to cover other commodities soon.

“Inflation rises largely due to food prices. This will definitely help ensure that prices fall by around 20-25%,” said Vikhe, adding that small traders and institutions could purchase directly from farmers. The move will also reduce costs by doing away with charges levied by intermediaries.

Farmers claim traders’ rings and organised groups rig prices and levy charges. There is a minimum 30% difference between wholesale and retail prices.

“This will ensure an equal playing field for all,” Vikhe said, pointing to how farmers’ groups were banding together due to technology. This will boost direct purchase of agricultural commodities from farmers by consumers, wholesalers and processing industries.

NCP MLC and mathadi leader Narendra Patil said the plan would hurt interests of all stakeholders like consumers, farmers, traders and mathadis. “Farmers cannot offload produce on footpaths, they need proper markets,” he pointed out, adding that APMCs could recover money due to farmers from defaulting traders.

Patil admitted that despite the change in rules, there would be no curbs on farmers selling in APMCs. NCP leaders like Patil and minister Shashikant Shinde largely control mathadi unions in APMCs.

Mohan Gurnani of the Federation of Associations said this would replace the present hub and spoke system of APMCs with one where trucks could flock to Mumbai and congest it. He added that farmers had few options apart from APMCs to sell goods.

State officials said that while the APMCs’ monopoly over agriculture was being disbanded, farmers had no option when it came to selling their perishable goods.

Dr Giridhar Patil, a former associate of liberal farmer leader Sharad Joshi, who has now shifted to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), called the APMCs “the largest scam in India” but said the state government was likely to roll back the move as it feared offending powerful lobbies before the polls.

What all could cost lesser
Grapes, pomegranates, figs, melons, guavas, apples, peaches, pears, ginger, garlic, coriander, tomatoes, yam, chillies, jaggery, sugar, wheat flour, sugar, pulses.

Wednesday, Jan 8, 2014, 6:33 IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

New year wishes from India's Leading Refrigerated Truck Manufacturers