ANI diversifies product offerings

Home-grown multinational firm AgriNurture Inc. (ANI) is looking at expanding its export product line with pineapple as it eyes additional offerings to markets in Russia, China and the Middle East.

Larry R. Lacson, head of corporate affairs and communication at ANI, on Tuesday told reporters the conglomerate had been in talks with a possible partner for a 200-hectare pineapple plantation in South Cotabato.

“Negotiations are still ongoing,” Lacson said. “Hopefully, this would be finalized by next year.”

This follows a move to beef up the potential harvest of bananas for a joint venture, where an ANI subsidiary is a partner, as it aims at firming up its foothold in key export markets in Europe and Asia.

Tagum Resources Agri Industries Inc. (Train), a joint venture between ANI unit Best Choice Harvest Agricultural Corp. and Hijo Resources Corp., entered into a long-term lease contract with a cooperative for 294 hectares of banana plantation in Tagum, Davao Del Norte.

This brings Train’s total planted area to 471 hectares, representing a potential harvest of 2.3 million boxes of Cavendish banana yearly.

The joint venture plans to make further inroads in the Russian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern markets.

According to ANI, it has been exporting bananas acquired from independent growers over the past three years

The company said it wanted to ensure the quality of its products by getting a bigger volume from well-managed farms. In fact, ANI is looking into possible new agreements for additional hectarage.

Further, ANI is set for continued international expansion this year as it leverages its “farm-to-plate” business model here in the Philippines.

The company—which is engaged in farming, distribution, manufacturing, export and retail — said it ended 2013 with organic growth and a round of mergers and acquisitions.

“We aim to take advantage of this strong base we’ve created to seek out international growth opportunities for all our divisions” ANI chair Antonio Tiu said in a statement.

“Most prominent in our agenda is the encouraging expansion opportunities we are looking at in the Greater China Region, Russia, the Gulf States and Australia for our brands in fresh export, retail and toll manufacturing,” Tiu added.