LT Foods opens rice processing plant in Netherlands

Leading basmati rice firm LT Foods today said it has commenced operations of its first rice processing plant at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The company, which sells basmati rice under 'Daawat' brand, has invested USD 15 million in the plant with an initial capacity of 60,000 tonnes.
LT Foods plans to expand its geographical footprint in important markets of Europe and UK through this plant by increasing its sales from the current 5,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes over the next three years, it said in a statement.
"Europe and UK are critical markets for LT Foods for our future growth and we intend to make deep inroads in these markets by making our most popular rice brand 'Daawat' a household name," LT Foods CEO and Managing Director Ashwani Arora said.

"The location of the plant was also critical for us as Rotterdam will provide us easy access to whole of Europe and UK. We want to exponentially increase our geographical reach and product portfolio in these markets by offering our food products," Arora said.
The new plant would be manufacturing a wide range of rice, including popular varieties like Basmati, Thai, Jasmine and American rice.

LT Foods has collaborated with Rotterdam Partners, The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, for the initiative.
The company has already launched 'Daawat' brand in six countries in 2017 and plans to expand its product offerings and portfolio globally.

"This would be our first plant in Europe and we are very excited about the opportunity. The plant would generate new job opportunities in the country and help us expand our geographical footprint across Europe and UK," LT Foods Chairman and Managing Director Vijay Kumar Arora said.