NEWS
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Rich pickings as strawberries grown in unusual places
ressed in formal grey trousers and carrying a Samsung Galaxy phone, Arvind Beniwal doesn’t look like a regular farmer. He isn’t. He is one of a small group of farmers who have reaped rich dividends from strawberries in a most unlikely area – the dry northern plains around Delhi and Hisar in Haryana. About two dozen farmers have devoted around 100 acres to growing the fruit, exotic to the area, which was once the preserve of hilly tracts with moderate climates such as Mahabaleshwar, Udhagamandalam and Himachal Pradesh. Beniwal first planted strawberries in 1998 on a part of his 30-acre farm on the banks of Yamuna, just before the river enters Delhi, with planting material imported from California. The risk taken by moving away from the traditional cereal and
vegetable crops seemed to have paid off as Beniwal has been planting strawberry every year on at least 10 acres of his farm. “The demand is growing for the fresh fruit and about 90 per cent of the produce is consumed directly. The rest is processed into jams and jellies,” he says. Beniwal’s local bulk buyers include Mother Dairy, Reliance Fresh and Bharti Walmart. The buy about 100-150 kg each daily. Besides this he sends the produce to markets in Kolkata through vendors. “The biggest advantage is that our farm is near the banks of the River Yamuna which provides not just adequate moisture to grow the crop but also a temperate climate. And the sandy loamy soil is a perfect fit for strawberry cultivation,” he says, adding that transporting and storing the delicate crop requires huge efforts as
infrastructure bottlenecks are constrained. Beniwal, who grows strawberries by intercropping with watermelon and capsicum, says the cost of cultivation for the fruit is about Rs 5 lakh per acre, including the rising labour costs. Production ranges from 12-15 tonnes per acre and the best produce comes from November and goes on till midApril. Beniwal, who has got ISO 9001 certification for his farm, has floated a brand in his name – Arvind to market packaged strawberries. Indian strawberry production has been increasing since 1992, boosting yields and fruit quality. The PanchganiMahabaleshwar region accounts for about 85 per cent of the country’s strawberries.
Doehler at DJAZAGRO 2013: WE BRING IDEAS TO LIFE
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s a global producer, marketer and provider of technologybased natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions for the food and beverages industry, Doehler is presenting innovative products and product applications at the DJAZAGRO 2013 in Algiers. Doehler’s integrated approach and the broad product portfolio are the optimal basis for advanced and safe food & beverage applications. The product portfolio is ranging from flavours, colours, speciality & performance ingredients, cereal ingredients, dairy ingredients, fruit & vegetable ingredients to ingredient systems. Doehler will also be showcasing many new product applications which perfectly match the consumer demands for naturalness and new taste sensations. These product applications are ranging from still drinks with a higher juice content, nectars, juicy energy drinks as well as innovative fruity milk drinks. Following the company slogan “We Bring Ideas to Life.”, Doehler supports
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its customers with an integrated approach for the introduction of new beverages and food products on the market. Full fruitiness with innovative still drinks and nectars 50 billion litres of still drinks are consumed worldwide – and therefore still drinks are the biggest category within beverages containing fruit juice. Following this trend, Doehler will be showcasing still drinks with a juice-content of 20-30 % creating an authentic fruit taste and a full mouth feel. Moreover, at DJAZAGRO a range of nectars like mango and guava flavour will be presented. Energy drinks – a recipe for global success Energy drinks are among the most dynamic and successful beverages in recent years. The energy market is set to diversify even further in the coming years, with the trend shifting towards new flavours. Based on extensive experience in energy drinks, Doehler will showcase classic energy drinks as well as juicy energy drinks geared for success. Fruity milk drinks – new taste varieties Fruity milk drinks are very popular in the
North African market. At DJAZAGRO, there will be milk drinks with innovative flavour profiles and milk drinks providing a authentic fruit taste by using 10-15 % juice available for tasting. Due to a wide range of Doehler flavours and juice concentrates there is no limit for creating unique product applications. Carbonated soft drinks – new sparkling impulses Doehler has developed carbonated soft drinks with new taste varieties from exotic to traditional, to open market potentials and to differentiate them in a market dominated by classic taste profiles. Thanks to a broad portfolio of high quality flavours especially for CSDs, the beverages stand out thanks to their particular authentic and juicy taste. Alongside these product applications, Doehler will also be unveiling a wide range of ingredients and ingredients solutions for the beverage and food industry at the fair.
Oil & Food Journal Vol. 08, Issue 06, April 2013