Charoen Pokphand Foods forays into packaged foods business in India

Thailand-based agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has announced its foray into the packaged foods business in India, with a new chicken processing plant in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
According to a PTI report: Specially crafted by its in-house chefs, the company will be unveiling a range of branded products, including CP Frozen Chicken, CP Chilled Chicken, CP Easy Snacks-veg and non-veg, and CP Eggs.
Stating that CP is committed to providing nutritious, tasty and high-quality products, the company undertakes fully integrated food processing operations in the country, ranging from feed production and farming to food processing and distribution under farm to fork concept.
Calling India a key market for the company, Senior Vice President, CP Foods India, Sanjeev Pant was quoted by PTI as saying, “The packaged foods industry is estimated to grow up to $ 50 billion by 2017 and we aim to play a significant role in it with the launch of India’s best chicken processing plant in Chittoor.”
Not wishing to comment on its targeted market share, he was further quoted by PTI as saying, “We want to be one of the top food players, especially in the non-veg category in the next five years.”
CP Group is headquartered in Thailand with representative offices in 17 countries and presence in 40 countries. CP India was established in 1992. The company also announced signing boxing champion M C Mary Kom as its brand ambassador.
Pointing out that Chittoor is a strategic location for the company for setting up its plant, Pant was quoted by PTI as saying: “Our backward integration was already happening in that area and it is a perfect location as it is between two large cities (Bengaluru and Chennai).”
Pant said $ 18 million has been invested in the Chitoor facility, which has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year for primary processing and about 4,000 tonnes for secondary processing.