Hopcoms outlets will get facelift to fend off malls

Mushrooming malls and other private players have impacted the sales of fruits and vegetable at its Horticultural Producers’ Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society Ltd (Hopcoms) stalls. Hence, the Mysore-Chamarajanagar District Horticulture Marketing and Processing Co-operative Union has planned modern marketing strategies by adopting the latest technologies at its Hopcoms outlets.

Expecting more grants from the state government, the co-operative plans to expand its retail outlets, collecting centres, cold storage facilities, besides giving a hi-tech touch to its Hopcoms outlets. With these expanded or newly-created facilities, it proposes to increase its sales by buying more varieties of fruits and vegetables from farmers and market them to customers at reasonable rates.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for modernising the Hopcoms outlets under its Rashtreeya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Eight select Hopcoms in the district will get a new look to attract more footfalls, according to Union Managing Director B S Raju.

Established in 1969, the Hopcoms has been profitable for the last three years. With one Hopcoms in T Narasipur and 42 in Mysore city, its average monthly turnover is Rs 45 lakh with a net profit of about Rs 1.5 lakh. Over 130 employees, both permanent and daily wagers, are on the rolls. Between 75 and 100 farmers supply fruits and vegetables everyday. They are paid more money by the co-operative than in the private market, said president Nijalingappa.

The co-operative has 1,700 members and covers the districts of Mysore and Chamarajanagar. Fruits, vegetables and grape juice are made available to government and private institutions like hospitals, hostels and industries, apart from direct marketing to customers.

Meanwhile, the Union has entered into an agreement with the Kodagu Orange Growers’ Co-operative Society Ltd. based in Coorg, for marketing its juice and jelly products in Mysore and Chamarajanagar.

President C S Arun Machaiah said the society produces a variety of fruit juices, jams and jelly and pickles including processed peas, vinegar and bottled drinking water.

Set up in 1942 and presently has 1,350 members with an employee-strength of 65, the society had started marketing its products through 40 Hopcoms in Mysore. It planned setting up its branch and a ‘Mandi’ in Mysore for exclusive marketing of Coorg oranges and fruits.

The society had received a Rs 2 crore grant from the government for its processing centre and planned marketing in Hassan, Mandya, Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Shimoga and Mangalore through Hopcoms there. Besides supplying to Seabird Navy Project in Mangalore, it was catering to demand for fruit pulp in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh juice processing centres at present.

Through private international level food processing companies like Calypso Foods, Nectar Fresh, Planet Pickles, and Sterling Foods Pvt Ltd, with which it had tied up, the society was exporting its products to a number of countries, Machaiah added.