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Published on July 9, 2007

It hopes its Fresh & Safe brand will be a household name soon after it starts distribution in September.

To date the company has concentrated on exports but it now wants to capture the domestic market to reduce risks inherent in overseas sales.

  The company aims to be a leader in organic vegetables at home, chairman Paichatyon Uathaveekul said last week.

"Demand for safe food in the domestic market is increasing and organic vegetables are a good choice for consumers," he said, adding that the company would see domestic sales equal exports within three years.

Swift exports fresh fruit and vegetables to Japan and other Asia-Pacific destinations, Europe, including Russia, and the Middle East.

The company started business in 1986 and today has sales of about Bt1 billion a year. It is shooting for sales growth of between 30 per cent and 35 per cent this year.

Its brand will be sold in supermarkets and by direct sales. Swift will concentrate on direct marketing because of cost savings, Paichatyon said.

A company study found that middlemen charge about Bt1 a kilogram. Cutting out agents can save consumers between 30 per cent and 50 per cent.

 Fresh & Safe offers 40 different types of produce. Customers can order directly from distribution centres in Bangkok.

 Paichatyon said the company would have as many as 100 centres in Bangkok and nearby provinces. To increase its packaging capacity Swift will open a fourth packing plant in Phanat Nikhom district of Chon Buri in 2009.

Paichatyon said it would handle produce from the company's contract farmers in the eastern part of the country. The existing packing plants are at Kamphaeng Saen in Nakhon Pathom and Phetchabun and Chiang Mai.

The company's biggest lines are asparagus, corn, mango and mansgosteen. Its major markets are Japan and the European Union.

Swift buys produce from farms and cooperatives practising environmentally safe growing methods only.

More than 10,000 family farms are employed as contract growers. They meet EurepGap protocols for food produced respecting worker health, safety and welfare, environmental and animal welfare and Japan Agricultural Standard requirements.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation