Betagro counts on boost from Bt750m
WITH an investment budget of Bt750 million in the Betagro Central Kitchen in Navanakorn Industrial Estate, Betagro is focusing its efforts on processed food under a goal to increase its sales of such food by 50 per cent this year, the company’s chief operating officer of the food business group, Somsak Boonlarp, said yesterday.
Somsak said the new plant has a production capacity of 8,000 tonnes a year and a Food Innovation Centre has been built to cater to future food trends, with more than 1,000 products developed. The company expects overall sales growth in the double-digits for this year.
Somsak said the company is introducing its premium products, S-Pure, at Thaifex 2018. Currently, the market share of S-Pure is 90 per cent in Thailand. It plans to expand its distribution to reach more consumers in big cities and tourism cities through top retailers such as Gourmet Market, Home Fresh Mart, Central Food Hall, Tops Market and Villa Market. For its export business, it plans to expand to Bahrain, Qatar, Spain and Romania. This year, the company aims to export 78,000 tonnes of chicken and 5,800 tonnes of pork, a 17 per cent increase from the previous year.
The Thaifex:World of Food Asia 2018 event is under way and will continue till June 2 at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok.
Somsak has expressed his confidence on the outlook for the processed food and ready-to-eat food segments in Thailand, and says both are expanding, Betagro Group’s processed food business expanded by 22 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year.
A survey of urban consumes shows they are opting for r processed food and ready-to-eat food because it is convenient and hassle-free. It found that consumers eat outside their home half the time, or 56 times a month, and visit convenience stores 21 times a month. This has become their routine lifestyle. However, while convenience is a key factor, health, quality and flavour are still important to them.
The new Betagro Central Kitchen features a Food Innovation Centre (FIC) to keep up with future food trends. The centre develops food products using various ingredients to offer nutritious options, the company said. There are more than 1,000 items in six categories, namely: appetisers made with pork and chicken; processed egg such as peeled boiled egg and steamed egg; ready meals; cuisine; bakery; and seasoning such as Thai salad dressing and dips. Additionally, Betagro Group has partnered with department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores to offer a wide array of ready-to-eat products with better quality and flavour. The portions and packaging are designed to offer convenience to consumers, the company said. The company expects that these products will generate Bt650 million in sales.
