Visakha Dairy to launch fruit-flavoured curd by year-end

Visakhapatnam Co-operative Dairy (VCD) is planning to introduce fruit-flavoured curd in the market by the end of December.

The dairy has tied up with Denmark-based Christian Hansen company for research and development, and technical support. The company will also supply cultures.

"During 2003-04, we sold 13 lakh litres of curd in three coastal districts. Last fiscal, the quantity increased to 15.5 lakh litres and this year, we are expecting our curd sales (both cups and bulk) to touch 21 lakh litres. Keeping this growth in mind, we are planning to launch fruit-flavoured curd in the market by the end of December," N V Venkata Rao, managing director, VCD, told Business Standard.

Visakha dairy recently introduced Misti doi (sweet curd) in the West Bengal and Orissa markets. Initially, the curd will hit the market in three flavours -- mango, pineapple and strawberry. "We will mix fruit pulp and synthetic flavours in the curd," he said.

VCD is investing Rs 2 crore in machinery over the next three to four months to increase production of different milk products. At present, the dairy sells 11 products. Its products sales turnover was Rs 50.53 crore in 2004-05 as against Rs 39.7 crore in the previous year.

In the current year, it is targeting to touch Rs 64.6 crore. "Very shortly, we are planning to introduce two new products called sterilised cream and softy ice-cream mix," he said.

VCD is also planning to increase its stockists to 200 from the present 130 across the state this fiscal to market its milk products. "We are also appointing stockists in Orissa and Chhattisgarh to sell our products in the coming days," Rao said.

Apart from this, VCD aims to sell 90 tonnes of paneer as against 62 tonnes in 2004-05, 60 lakh litres of tetra pack milk (41.2 lakh litres in 2004-05), 17 lakh litres of butter milk (13.64 lakh litres), 630 tonnes of ghee (552 tonnes) and 3,020 tonnes of butter (2,786 tonnes).