The Hindu Business Line : Veg-fruit council to expand retail network in Kerala

THE Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) is planning to expand its network of retail outlets during the next financial year (2004-05).

Disclosing this to Business Line, Mr J. Premkumar, Director, Horticulture Resource Centre, VFPCK, explained that the company expects to add a `substantial' number of retail outlets during the next fiscal. Women's self-help groups will manage a good number of the new retail outlets, he added.

Branded `Udyanam', the company's existing retail outlets — two in Kochi and one in Thiruvananthapuram — sell a range of fresh fruits and vegetables and are based on a franchisee model, said Mr Premkumar. Most of the merchandise sold at these outlets is sourced from the company's marketing centres called the `Swasraya Karshaka Samitis' (SKS), but some products are obtained from other sources. The new retail outlets will also be based on this business model.

Meanwhile, the company is examining the possibility of setting up a cold chain that covers the entire post-harvest process, he said. The idea is to create a cold chain that starts at the farm and extends to the end user, thereby ensuring that produce remains fresh, Mr Premkumar explained. The company has submitted a proposal on this issue to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Mr Premkumar added.

The company has also entered into an agreement with Food Cert India.

More Stories on : Horticulture/Fruits & Vegetables | Retailing | Kerala

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