Bharti

Hon’ble CM of Punjab inaugurates FieldFresh’s state-of-the-art Fresh Produce Pack-House

• ● The first fresh produce pack house in India to have hydro-cooling facility
• ● Capacity to handle 16 tons of fresh produce per hour and 5 different kinds of product lines at the same time
• ● Cold Storage capacity of 500 tons with three temperature zones
• ● Facility to help increase shelf life of the produce and make quality more reliable

Ludhiana, Wednesday, October 31, 2007: Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab today inaugurated FieldFresh’s state-of-the-art fresh produce pack-house in Ladhowal, Ludhiana in the presence of Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Mr. Rohtash Mal, Chief Executive Officer, FieldFresh Foods (P) Ltd.

On the occasion, Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal said, “FieldFresh has made significant investments towards introducing latest farm technology and creating modern farm infrastructure such as protected cultivation in Punjab. This state-of-the-art pack house is another demonstration of our commitment towards developing world-class agriculture facilities in the state. It will provide the much needed strength to cold chain infrastructure in the state and help us better serve our customers in India as well as international markets.

Spread over 50,000 sq ft area, this state-of-the-art fresh produce pack house is the first of its kind in the country and has hydro cooling and forced cooling facilities. The pack-house, which is located in FieldFresh Agri Centre of Excellence, in Ladhowal, Ludhiana and has been built as per the GMP and HACCP guidelines. This new facility will not only increase the shelf life of the fresh produce but will also make the quality of the produce more reliable.

The facility has three packaging lines with a capacity to handle several different kinds of products at the same time. The pack house is equipped with pre-cooling chambers, cold storage facility, and equipment for sorting, grading and handling of produce under controlled conditions. It can handle sixteen tons of various vegetables per hour and has a cold storage capacity of 500 tons with three different temperature zones.

FieldFresh also announced that it has been permitted by the Government of Punjab to have bilateral agreements for directly procuring fresh produce from farmers in the State. The Company has set up a procurement facility at the FieldFresh Agri Centre of Excellence for this purpose.

Recently, the Company undertook an initiative for its partner farmers in Punjab under which 80 of its partner farmers received the internationally acclaimed Eurepgap certification. This is expected to provide further boost to export of fresh produce from Punjab to overseas markets. FieldFresh undertook this initiative as a Primary Marketing organisation.

FieldFresh, which is a 50:50 joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and DMPL India Limited, has inducted Del Monte Pacific Limited as a strategic partner in the Company. Del Monte brings with it its vast expertise in agro operations, processing, marketing and distribution of premium-quality food and beverage products.

FieldFresh has been exporting fresh fruits and vegetables to key markets including UK, the Middle East and Europe. Given the growing opportunities in the Indian economy, FieldFresh plans to enhance its focus through value added products in the domestic market. It will also evolve a comprehensive strategy for serving the needs of the Business-to-Business segment. The company will continue to cater to export markets.