Groundnut Oil

It’s Got the Good Fat

Almost all commercial food suppliers – beginning from a roadside stall owner to restaurants as also a part of the food processing industry – use groundnut oil in some proportion. And,of course, there is a bottle, a tin, or a poly pack/Tetra Pak of groundnut oil in millions of households in India – a country that happens to be the world’s largest importer and the third largest consumer of edible oils. However, are all groundnut oil types suitable for your consumption? Are all manufacturers keeping the promises that they make? Are you actually getting the quality and the quantity that you are (innocently) paying for?

How many types of groundnut oil?

Groundnut oil is available in the market in refined and filtered forms. Although filtered oils are nutritionally superior, they may contain toxic compounds if the filtration process is not of high quality. Hence, it is better to buy groundnut oils of reputed brands.

Groundnut oil is suitable for all types of cooking, particularly deep frying, grilling and seasoning. Raw groundnut oil is not suitable for direct human.

How To Best Match Your Oils To Foods

While the to-and-fro on the healthiest oil continues through various studies and findings, most of them clearly conclude against sticking to one type of oil for cooking. It is beneficial to consume a mix of oils to maintain a balance between the three fatty acids. The only way to ensure that you consume healthy oil is by switching between two-three of them – for instance, by using groundnut oil one month and then using sunflower oil in another. Even better, rotate the oil types for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Blending oils is another option, whereby you take equal proportions of different oils in one container and then use it. This way you do not get prolonged exposure to the side effects of one type of oil and also get the benefits of different oils.

You could also have two or more different kinds of oils in your kitchen which you could use for different purposes. For example, you could use olive oil for salads, groundnut oil for frying, and soyabean oil for other cooking purposes. This will let you avail of the health benefits offered by each oil brand.

However, refrain from reusing of oil as this has been linked with cancer.

Indian Edible Oil Industry

The Indian vegetable oil economy is the world’s fourth largest after the US, China and Brazil, harvesting about 25 million tons of oilseeds against the world. Since 1995, Indian share in world production of oilseeds has been around 10 percent. Although, India is a major producer of oilseeds, per capita oil consumption in India is only 10.6 kg/annum which is low compared to 12.5 kg/annum in China, 20.8 kg/annum in Japan, 21.3 kg/annum in Brazil and 48.0 kg/annum in USA.

Vegetable oil consumption has increased following a rise in household incomes and consumer demand. India imports half of its edible oil requirement, making it the world’s third-largest importer of edible oil. The country buys soya oil from Argentina & Brazil and palm oil from Malaysia & Indonesia.

Currently, India accounts for 11.2 per cent of vegetable oil import and 9.3 per cent of edible oil consumption.

Types of Oils commonly in use in India:

India has a wide range of oilseeds crops grown in its different agro climatic zones. Groundnut, mustard/rapeseed, sesame, safflower, linseed, nigerseed / castorseed are the major traditionally cultivated oilseeds. Soyabean and sunflower have also assumed importance in recent years. Groundnut, soyabean and mustard together contribute about 85 percent of the country’s oilseeds production. Coconut is most important amongst the plantation crops. Efforts are being made to grow oil palm in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu in addition to Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Among the non-conventional oils, ricebran oil and cottonseed oil are the most important. In addition, oilseeds of tree and forest origin, which grow mostly in tribal inhabited areas, are also a significant source of oils.

Until 2002, the olive oil sector in India was predominantly unorganised. The olive oil industry in India is small and largely people use it more for cosmetic purposes than for cooking. Today Indians are moving to better cooking mediums like Olive oil for health and wellness reasons. Olive Oil has always been placed somewhere between food and medicine and the biggest challenge is to educate Indian consumers on the benefits of olive oil as a cooking medium. Today, the domestic olive oil consumption is seen rising 25% annually.

Production of Oilseeds in India:

India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world and this sector occupies an important position in the agricultural economy and accounts for an estimated production of 28.21 million tonnes of nine cultivated oilseeds during the year 2007-08. India contributes about 6 -7% of the world oilseeds production.

Localisation of the Industry:

India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world. The oilseeds area and output is concentrated in Central and southern parts of India, mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In India, oilseeds are grown in an area of nearly 27 million hectares across the length and breadth of the country.

Groundnuts:

India ranks second in the world (after China) in groundnut production. The three southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the western state of Gujarat together account for close to 80% of the annual output in India. Regional trends in groundnut production indicate that the recent increase in groundnut yields has mainly occurred in Tamil Nadu due to increased irrigation. Although Tamil Nadu accounts for 12% of the total area under groundnuts, it contributes to 22% of the total production.

Soybeans:

In India Madhya Pradesh is the leading state in producing soybean followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. On an average, Madhya Pradesh produces 74 percent of India’s total soybean crop; Maharashtra, 13 percent; and Rajasthan, 10 percent. The crop has exhibited a vast potential as a monsoon season crop mainly in Central India, and is extending its coverage in the Southern parts of the country.

Olive Oil:

India relies on import route for its olive requirement, as the country has no olive cultivation locally except in a few pockets in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. For the first time, Rajasthan government has tied up with an Israeli firm Indolive Ltd and Indian company Plastro Plasson Industries to promote olive farming on 210 hectares in the state.

INDIAN SPICES IMPORT AND EXPORT GROWTH

spice a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetable substances primarily used for flavouring, colouring or preserving food. Sometimes a spice is used to hide other flavours. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants also used for flavouring or as garnish. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. This may explain why spices are more commonly used in warmer climates, which have more infectious disease, and why use of spices is especially prominent in meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling.

A spice may have other uses, including medicinal, cosmetics or perfume production, or as a vegetable. For example, turmeric roots are consumed as a vegetable and garlic as an antibiotic. India primarily exports pepper, chilli, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, celery, nutmeg and mace, garlic, tamarind and vanilla. Processed spices such as spice oils and oleoresins, mint products, curry powder, spice powders blends and seasonings and also exported. The export of processed spices such as curry powder, mint products and spice oils and oleoresins accounted for 44.2 per cent of total exports. Mint products accounted for a large volume of spice exports in 2012-13 with a share of 29.7 per cent. Mint product exports grew from US $ 235.4 million in 2008-09 to US $ 415.3 million in 2012-13. Spice oils and oleoresins exports grew from US $ 156.9 million in 2008-09 to US $ 241.1 million in 2012-13. Indian spices exports have been able to record strident gains in both volume and value in Rupee terms.

It is first time in the history of Spices export the growth in volume registered an all-time growth of 26 per cent. Spices exports have registered substantial growth during the last five years, registering compound annual average growth rate of 23 per cent in value and 11 per cent in volume and India commands a formidable position in the World Spice Trade.

The tariffs for import have also been steadily brought down. Under Free Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka, duty free import of spices is permitted. Duty free imports are also allowed under the Advance Authorization Scheme for value addition and re-export. The US is the major importer followed by China, the UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Germany, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Exports to the US grew at a rate of 11.6 per cent from US $ 215.4 million in 2007-08 to US $ 334.8 million in 2011-12. (Source: India brand equity foundation 2013).

Exporting Desiccated Coconuts to Europe

Desiccated coconut is the disintegrated and dehydrated kernel from mature coconuts. Desiccated coconut is manufactured from the fresh mature nuts. Shredded coconut is usually produced in seven grades. In the order of their fineness, they are – macaroon, fine, medium, coarse, chips, tapes and shreds. The fine and medium grades are largely exported. The demand basically exists for the fine and medium grades of desiccated coconut resembling coarse soji.

Desiccated coconut is mainly used in the manufacture of sweets, cake dressings, pastries, chocolates and biscuit industry. It is also used in curries and puddings in place of raw coconut or copra. The major consumers of desiccated coconut are biscuit and confectionery industry, bakeries and sweet stalls. Some industries manufacturing desiccated coconut have reported that 30% of their production goes to biscuit manufacturers, 10% to confectionery, 60% to local bakeries and sweetmeat stalls.

During manufacture of desiccated coconut the following by products are obtained : Shells are collected separately and primarily used for the manufacture of activated charcoal. The parings (red taste removed from the kernel) are separately collected, dried and crushed in an expelled for oil recovery, as it contains oil up to 55-60%. Coconut water may be used for the preparation of vinegar or can be bottled With 30% of the world’s imports, the European Union is the largest importer of desiccated coconuts in the world. Desiccated coconut is a traditional bakery ingredient in many European countries and more recently, the product is benefiting from the rising interest in Asian cooking. The import of desiccated coconuts in Europe is increasing with the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom as the leading importing countries.

Description

Desiccated coconut, sometimes referred to as Coconut Powder, is a dehydrated form of white coconut meat from freshly selected mature coconut kernels. It is prepared from substantially sound white kernel obtained from the whole nut of coconut (Cocos nucifera). Desiccated coconuts have to be processed in an appropriate manner, undergoing operations such as de-husking (the removal of the husk, leaving the shell intact), hatcheting (the removal of the shell), paring (the removal of the brown skin around the kernel), washing, comminuting, drying (to humidity level below 3%) and sifting. They can be produced without oil extraction or with partial oil extraction by appropriate physical means.

Product Specification

Quality 
The basic quality requirements for desiccated coconuts are:
Colour: natural white to light creamy
Texture: free-flowing and free from yellow specks
Flavour: distinctive coconut flavour without off-flavours due to deterioration or absorption of extraneous substances.
Odour: The odour shall be characteristic of the product, shall not be mouldy, cheesy, smoky, fermented or rancid, and shall not possess any undesirable odour.
Oil content: According to the oil content, desiccated coconuts are in trade practice commonly divided into 2 categories:
1. High fat Desiccated Coconut (sometimes referred as ‘full fat’) with equal or more than 60% m/m of oil. It is dehydrated form of white coconut meat from freshly selected mature kernels
2. Low fat Desiccated Coconut with less than 60% m/m of oil. It is a dehydrated form of white coconut meat after extraction of the Coconut milk. The fat content of this product can vary but is usually in the range of 45% – 55%.

Labelling

The name of the product shall be “Desiccated Coconut” preceded or followed by the common or ordinary name legally accepted in the country of retail sale. The name should indicate the oil content of the product. When applicable, the name may indicate the sizing of the product.

Information for non-retail containers shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the product, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer, as well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container. However, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer may be replaced by an identification mark, provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.

Packaging

Packaging used for desiccated coconuts must protect the organoleptic and quality characteristics of the product, to protect the product from bacteriological and other contamination (including contamination from the packaging material itself) and not pass on to the product any odour, taste, colour or other foreign characteristics.

The most common types of packaging for desiccated coconuts in bulk are craft paper bags with inner sealed polythene to keep away from the atmosphere’s moisture. The most common standard bag size is 25kg but bags of 8kg, 10kg and 50kg are also used. Packed products should be stored in a clean, cool and dry place under room temperature of 26 o C or below. In normal storage conditions shell life of the products should be 12 months.

Market prices

Indication of margins according to final retail prices for desiccated coconuts is not precise and Developing Countries exporters can have only a very rough general overview of the price development. However, very roughly, it can be estimated that the CIF price represents around 25% of the retail price of a retail pack of desiccated coconuts (which is usually packed in 250 and 300 g retail sizes). The best option to monitor prices is to compare your offer with the offer from the largest competitors. The prices are also different between producing countries and desiccated coconuts from Philippines as leading world supplier usually reach higher prices when compared to other producing countries because as they are considered as premium quality product by majority of the European buyers.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

INTRODUCTION

India has now entered a new era of globalisation and economic liberalization.  The possibilities of increased trade in the global markets demand that the country becomes efficient, competitive and innovative both in production and marketing.  It is time that we stopped being preoccupied only with increasing production: attention to marketing is equally important. In fact, it is worth remembering that marketing is as critical an input for production as are seeds, irrigation, fertilizer, etc.

The agricultural marketing scenario in the country is fast changing and will need to be restructured and reoriented to fully meet the need arising from the globalization process. The areas where new initiatives and measures are required need to be identified and attended to. Much smaller countries, by adopting strong and effective marketing strategies, have been able to export to competitive areas and thus have not only strengthened their economic position but have also contributed to the general welfare of the farming community of these ;countries.  India needs to emulate such countries and adopt effective and aggressive marketing policies so lt has its export of agricultural commodities is enhanced.

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING IN INDIA

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy and represents one- third of the country’GDP.  During the last four decades, it received a very high priority.  There are 35 agro-climatic regions in the country with wide variations in agricultural production patterns and practices. The application of scientific techniques, coupled with government policies and programmes in the agricultural sector, has helped in increasing the production of several commodities including food-grains and the resultant marketable surplus has touched new heights, transforming Indian agriculture from subsistence to a near commercial enterprise.  The production of food-grains during 1994-95 is expected to touch an all-time high of 185 million tonnes, which are 3 million tones more than the production during the previous year.  Food-grains production during 1965-66 was a mere 72 million tonnes.  Sugarcane production is likely to it is to 245 million tonnes in 1994-95 against 233 million tonnes in 1993-94 compared to 120 million tonnes in 1965-66. Production of oil-seeds almost tripled from 6.35 million tonnes in 1965-66 to 19.2 million tonnes in 1992-93.  Production of kharif oil-seeds alone was estimated at 12 million tonnes during 1993-94.  Production increase in the case of fibres such as cotton, jute and Mesta was also witnessed.  So also in the case of fruits and vegetables.

Agricultural marketing is broadly concerned with developing new products to satisfy emerging needs of the consumers and to capitalize on newly identified market opportunities. It also includes reappraising and modifying existing products in the perspective of changing requirements of the modern society.

Dehydrated Products

Drying (dehydrating) food is one of the oldest and easiest methods of food preservation. Dehydration is the process of removing water or moisture from a food product. Removing moisture from foods makes them smaller and lighter. Dehydrated foods are ideal for backpacking, hiking, and camping because they weigh much less than their non-dried counterparts and do not require refrigeration. Drying food is also a way of preserving seasonal foods for later use.

How dehydration preserves foods

Foods can be spoiled by food microorganisms or through enzymatic reactions within the food. Bacteria, yeast, and molds must have a sufficient amount of moisture around them to grow and cause spoilage. Reducing the moisture content of food prevents the growth of these spoilage-causing microorganisms and slows down enzymatic reactions that take place within food. The combination of these events helps to prevent spoilage in dried food.

The basics of food dehydration

Three things are needed to successfully dry food at home: Heat — hot enough to force out moisture (140°F), but not hot enough to cook the food; Dry air — to absorb the released moisture; Air movement — to carry the moisture away.

Dehydrated Onion

Need GOOD Ventilation! – and Super Easy Veggie to Dehydrate! Dehydrated white onion 570 Dehydrating onions can be a tearful job, and please run your range hood vent (if you have one) and place your dehydrator as close to it as possible ... that will help enormously to take the onion odor out of the kitchen and away from your pets sensitive noses and nervous systems – it's poisonous to them!

Onions are a great source of vitamin A, followed by vitamin C. There are trace amounts of Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, vitamin B6, Riboflavin, and Thiamin. Their minerals are: a great source of Potassium, followed by Phosphorus, and Calcium. There are trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, and Selenium too. They contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Dehydrated Garlic

Dehydrating garlic is easy when you use Elephant, often called Mammoth Garlic! As the name implies, it's much bigger than regular bulbs, like four times bigger! (See photo at the bottom of this page.) It is milder in taste than its regular counterpart.

It is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, followed by Choline. There are trace amounts of vitamin K, Folate, Niacin, Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Pantothenic Acid. It is a good source of Potassium, Phosphorus, and Calcium, followed by Iron and Manganese. There are trace amounts of Zinc, Copper, and Selenium and contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Agricultural Products

Exports of Agricultural Products

INTRODUCTION

India has now entered a new era of globalisation and economic liberalization. The possibilities of increased trade in the global markets demand that the country becomes efficient, competitive and innovative both in production and marketing. It is time that we stopped being preoccupied only with increasing production: attention to marketing is equally important. In fact, it is worth remembering that marketing is as critical an input for production as are seeds, irrigation, fertilizer, etc.

The agricultural marketing scenario in the country is fast changing and will need to be restructured and reoriented to fully meet the need arising from the globalization process. The areas where new initiatives and measures are required need to be identified and attended to. Much smaller countries, by adopting strong and effective marketing strategies, have been able to export to competitive areas and thus have not only strengthened their economic position but have also contributed to the general welfare of the farming community of these countries. India needs to emulate such countries and adopt effective and aggressive marketing policies so lt has its export of agricultural commodities is enhanced.

The importance of an efficient agricultural marketing system has been recognized in India since long. The setting up of a central organization, known as the “Office of the agricultural marketing Adviser to the Government of India” in 1935, was the first step taken by the government to bring about an integrated development of marketing of agricultural produce with a view to safeguarding the economic interests of producer-sellers as well as consumers. Over the years, a number of organizations and institutions have come to be established with a mandate for one or more areas of marketing such as procurement, storage, and warehousing, credit, cooperative marketing, exports, food processing, agricultural prices, agricultural produce markets, research and agricultural statistics. As a result, agricultural marketing responsibilities Today are diffused among several departments and agencies, which often tend to work in isolation without coordinating their activities and programmes.

In the farm sector, marketing has been receiving a lower priority than production, there was a tendency to be preoccupied with increasing production without a matching concern to improve and strengthen marketing. The governments investment in agricultural marketing has been an insignificant proportion of the total investment in agriculture and allied sectors at the central and state levels, even though the potential contribution which an efficient marketing can make to the overall development of the farm sector has been realized.

The basic purpose of this paper is to develop a micro perspective of the export performance of agro-food products from developing countries in order to understand the dynamics of international marketing by agribusiness firms. It is emphasized that the micro issues bear greater influence on the export performance because new developments in international food and agri-business markets are responsible for making defunct the macro generalizations about consumer behavior towards food and food products.

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING IN INDIA

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy and represents one- third of the country GDP. During the last four decades, it received a very high priority. There are 35 agro-climatic regions in the country with wide variations in agricultural production patterns and practices. The application of scientific techniques, coupled with government policies and programmes in the agricultural sector, has helped in increasing the production of several commodities including foodgrains and the resultant marketable surplus has touched new heights, transforming Indian agriculture from subsistence to a near commercial enterprise. The production of foodgrains during 1994-95 is expected to touch an all-time high of 185 million tonnes, which are 3 million tonnes more than the production during the previous year. Foodgrains production during 1965-66 was a mere 72 million tonnes. Sugarcane production is likely to it is to 245 million tonnes in 1994-95 against 233 million tonnes in 1993-94 compared to 120 million tonnes in 1965-66. Production of oilseeds almost tripled from 6.35 million tonnes in 1965-66 to 19.2 million tonnes in 1992-93. Production of kharif oilseeds alone was estimated at 12 million tonnes during 1993-94. Production increase in the case of fibres such as cotton, jute and Mesta was also witnessed. So also in the case of fruits and vegetables.

Agricultural marketing is broadly concerned with developing new products to satisfy emerging needs of the consumers and to capitalize on newly identified market opportunities. It also includes reappraising and modifying existing products in the perspective of changing requirements of the modern society.

In India, much of the agricultural produce freely moves through private trade operating in the organized markets as well as through shanty markets and village fairs where the head loaders and peddlers sell their produce. Apart from modern marketing, the country scene is also marked by traditional barter system. Realizing its limited but vital role, the Government has been endeavoring to promote organized marketing of agricultural commodities in the country. To achieve these objectives, most of the states and union territories have enacted necessary legislation governing agricultural produce markets. The number of regulated markets in the country has increased from 2,481 in December 1978 to 6,772 in March 1993. During the last two decades, marketing of farm produce is also encouraged through a network of cooperative society.

EXPORTS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

World trade in agricultural products I estimated to be about US $ 300 billion in value. Within this overall trade, it is estimated that about 22 percent consists of bulk commodities ( creals, soybeans, unmanufactured tobacco, cotton, plant seeds and pulses), while 24 per cent consists of principally semi-processed products ( Wheat flour, feeds and fodders, hops, oil meals vegetable oils, refined sugar, live animals, etc.). The remaining products which dominate world trade in agricultural commodities and account for about 53 per cent of the total are consumer- oriented products, i.e., products that require little or no additional processing for consumption. These include fresh and processed horticultural products, fresh and processed meat and dairy products, table eggs and bakery products. The fastest growth in world trade is in consumer products.

India’s share in the global trade has declined in the recent decades. The share of agricultural exports in the total exports of India has also come down India’s share in world trade in agricultural commodities is less than one per cent. The agricultural sector contributes amount 30 per cent of the GDP, but the contribution to exports which at one time accounted for nearly 31 per cent of all exports (1980-81) has come down to 11 per cent (1991-92). The decline of agricultural exports as percentage of India’s total exports reflects partly a diversification in the Indian economy.