The Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers' Limited (Omfed) expects to grab the highest market share in the ice-cream segment in the state within the next twelve months.
The milk marketing major, which kicked off ice-cream production on Monday, at its all new facility in the city, aims to clock a profit of Rs two crore every year from the sale of ice-cream.
Addressing media persons here, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, chairman of Omfed said, "The demand for ice-cream is buoyant in the state and we will have the highest market share in the ice-cream segment in the state within 12 months. The ice-cream plant would contribute substantially to our profitability and we expect to make a net profit of Rs two crore every year from ice-cream sales."
Omfed's ice-cream plant has been commissioned at a cost of Rs four crore out of which the Government of India has sanctioned Rs two core under the Rashriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The remaining amount has been raised through Omfed's resources.The ice-cream plant was inaugurated by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.This plant would have a capacity to process 6,000 litres of milk every day for production of high quality ice-cream. The capacity will be raised further to 10,000 litres per day in the future, Mohapatra said.
“Our ice-cream plant will start running at full capacity within the next six days. To start with, the plant would produce four varieties of ice-cream- butter scotch, vanila, strawberry and chocolate. These products will be initially available in 100-odd outlets in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and will be later extended to different towns within two months", he added.
Asked on Omfed's plans to market the ice-cream products in other states, Mohapatra said, "At first, we would concentrate on the Orissa market and if the need arises, we will go for the second plant. Omfed sells around eight lakh packets of milk every day and we will leverage our strong marketing network to make the ice-cream products available to the customers."
Presently, Omfed gives Rs 225 crore to the rural milk producers out of its present turnover of Rs 300 crore.