AFBL working to seize a notable share of country\\\'s liquid milk market

Mohammad Ali | Published: February 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Akij Food and Beverage Ltd (AFBL), a company of the Akij Group, is working to seize a notable share of the country's liquid milk market with its 'better quality product' in the next couple of years, its officials said.
As part of the plan, the company has set its yearly target of growth in production and marketing of liquid milk by at least 10-15 per cent.
Currently, AFBL produces and markets 30-40 thousand liters of liquid milk per day under the brand "Farm Fresh" in the market, having total consumption of about 0.55 million liters a day, they said.
"Our production and marketing growth trend was positive in the past years; We want to continuously increase our production and supply of liquid milk," Md Saiful Islam Talukder, assistant general manager (quality control) of the AFBL, told a group of journalists on its premises recently.
They went to the factory at Krishnapura of Dhamrai area in Dhaka in a visit arranged by the company.
"We are going to set up a powder milk plant soon so that we can make powder milk in case of any unexpected disruption in marketing of liquid milk, helping keep the milk-collection chain from farmers undisrupted," Mr Talukder said while he was sharing the firm's future plan.
Besides the steady growth in the dairy business, Mr Talukder expressed the company's firm commitment to produce and supply better quality of liquid milk to the consumers.
The company is yet to reach to the profit making position with the current amount of production in dairy, he said, adding that however, they are actually expecting to make profit from the by-products, when the total production volume will go up to a significant level.
The company produces and markets two types of liquid milk such as pasteurised and UHT (ultra high temperature) milk.
The liquid milk is consumed mainly in Dhaka and Chittagong, he said, adding that "There are still many untapped market for the liquid milk in Bangladesh."
The AFBL ensures uniform taste and odor as its milk is collected from the same areas and same cattle.
Apart from strictly maintaining essential compositions, the company also uses own chilling center, where all adulteration tests facilities exists to prevent any type of adulteration, he said.
The AFBL's automation and enclosed milk processing plant work to resist any contamination, he said, adding that its milk is processed and packed without any alteration in the real milk quality and composition; as such there is no artificial sweeting or any added ingredients.
Other products of the food and beverage company include: frutika (mango juice), curds, chocolate, ghee, Mojo, Lemu, Speed, Checky Monkey (banana chips).