Now, French fries made in Jalandhar

CHANDIGARH: A regular complement to the big burger, your favourite French fries will soon taste Indian, rather Punjabi.
In a first of its kind in the country, Satnam Agri Products Ltd is setting up an integrated plant in Jalandhar to make frozen French fries, currently being imported by fast food giants KFC and McDonald's.
MD, Satnam Agri Products Ltd, Mandeep Singh told TOI: "We are investing Rs 40 crore in the project in which SBI has funded Rs 23 crore.The Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd has 16% share in the project. The machinery has been imported from Holland and we hope to start operations by end of January 2007."
With one tonne/hour production capacity for frozen fries and 500 kg/hour for potato flakes, the company hopes to market equal share of the produce to the domestic as well as the exports market.
While the import price of the frozen French fries works out to be around Rs 79/kg at present, the company hopes to sell its produce at Rs 60/kg. As per estimates, while the domestic market for frozen fries is 8,000 tonnes/year, its export potential is pegged at 60,000 tonnes per annum, leaving a huge untapped market.
To source raw material, the company has entered into contract farming arrangement with farmers around Jalandhar on 3,500 acres of land.
The company has roped in thousands of locals to sow the special Chipsona 1 variety of potato for making fries. "This will get us 20,000 tonnes of potato per year to produce 4,000 tonnes/year of frozen fries," said the company's business advisor DN Dhand.
"We have tied up with Jaipuria Group to market our produce in India and are approaching brands such as Haldiram for orders," he added.
FAST FACTS
Domestic market: 8,000 (tonnes/year)
Export potential: 60,000 (tonnes/year)
Current import price: Rs 79/kg
Likely local price: Rs 60/kg