Cargill India to Foray into Rice Bran Oil
Cargill India’s Gemini brand is all set to make an entry into the rice bran oil segment. The company expects the new segment to bring in revenues of 2 to 3 percent overall. The brand is expecting to capture 10% of the market share in Maharashtra where the ‘health oil” will be launched initially. The total rice bran oil market in the country is one lakh tonne per year and in Maharashtra, the total market is 20, 000 tonne per year. The Gemini brand is popular in Maharashtra and the state, along with Karnataka forms the biggest market for the brand. The rice bran oil will be sourced from a third party in Dhuri in Punjab. Cargill India intends to price the new rice bran oil at Rs.125-130 per litre. The company has claimed that the Gemini rice bran oil will contain 40 percent more oryzanol as compared to other edible oils and will be fortified with Vitamin A, D and E. Gemini enjoys 30% market share in other categories of oil like soybean, groundnut oil, and vanaspati. Going forward the company is looking to increase its health and wellness portfolio for oils and carbohydrates.
Patanjali to Enter Dairy Sector with Four Products
Patanjali Ayurved is all set to enter the dairy segment with four products cow milk, curd, buttermilk, and cheese. Patanjali expects this category to generate revenues of around Rs.1000 crore by 2020. Patanjali has tied up with vendors and retailers to supply milk in Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Mumbai, and Pune. The company is expecting to produce 10 lakh tonnes of cow milk per day in 2019-20. The milk will be sold at Rs.40 per litre which is lower than the prevailing market price of Rs.42 per litre. The company will also sell its dairy products in tetra-packs along with flavoured milk. In the food category, Patanjali has announced that it will be foraying into the frozen vegetable market with frozen peas, corn, mixed vegetables, and French fries. Patanjali is likely to sell these products at half the price of its competitors like McCain. Other products on the anvil are packaged drinking water and urea free cattle feed.
Future Group Collaborating with USAID Horticulture and Agriculture Marketing Programme
Future Group, through its retail formats like Big Bazaar, is collaborating with USAID Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Programme (CHAMP) to deliver mutual benefits to Indian consumers and Afghanistan horticultural producers. The move is likely to provide Indian customers with more choice during the non-season as it will augment domestic supply. More than 50 agriculture exporters from Afghanistan are currently in India to showcase their finest agriculture products including fruits, nuts and spices at a four-day ‘Passage to Prosperity: India-Afghanistan International Trade and Investment Show’. Afghanistan is re-emerging and is re-opening its gardens of fruits, nuts, and spices. This produce is unadulterated by heavy chemical use and Indian consumers will be able to benefit from the natural, pure, and tasty produce.
Delhi’s The Embassy Retains its Old Recipes but Adds Innovations
The Embassy at Connaught Place is well known to all fine diners and is one of Delhi’s oldest restaurants. However, a new ‘Embassy Mini’ has recently been launched at Janakpuri which is an express model. The Embassy ‘s USP is that it has been a Connaught Place landmark and they have always offered great food served with passion and they would like to keep it that way. However, with the change in food tastes Embassy has also made innovations and is experimenting with different cuisines to keep abreast with the change in food preferences. Also, they are leveraging technology like taking online orders and delivering through third parties, which has widened their reach. Diners today expect out-of-the-box concepts but Embassy feels that they have numerous loyal customers who have always come to them expecting a certain type of food and Embassy continues to concentrate on great food and the recipes that have become favourites with their customers over the years. Of course, some innovation is there as people have begun to show a preference for Spanish, Thai and Mexican cuisines.
UP Pollution Control Board to Ban Barbecued Foods in Some Cities
Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board will be taking action against eateries using coal or wood as fuel for preparing barbecued ‘tandoori’ before October 10. This move has been planned so it can be in place before the arrival of winter. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will be implemented so as to check the levels of air pollution in Ghaziabad and Noida. The report has already been prepared by the board about the steps that will be taken to prevent pollution. These steps include identification of all such restaurants and cafes that offer tandoori cuisine and which use coal and wood as fuel for cooking in kilns – ‘tandoors’ made of brick. The UP government is presently surveying the Environment Pollution Control Authority’s recommendations and action is likely to be initiated soon.
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